Morning Briefing: Tories hit back over housing

In the news

Various papers are reporting on Sajid Javid’s speech to the Tory conference yesterday, with various ideas about the key message.

The Independent reports that Mr Javid thinks Tory failures on housing are putting Jeremy Corbyn within reach of Downing Street.

The Huffington Post has a more policy-focused report, covering Mr Javid’s suggestion that a ‘housing court’ could help disputes between private renters and his announcement of “incentives” to encourage landlords to offer renters minimum 12-month tenancies.

The Telegraph, meanwhile, seems more concerned with the secretary of state’s bodily fluids.

Speaking to Andrew Marr yesterday morning, Theresa May made the most significant housing announcement of the weekend, pledging to put £10bn more into the Help to Buy scheme.

The governing party is, however, in the midst of a row over the roll-out of Universal Credit. Reporting from a fringe event at the Conservative Party conference, The Guardian says work and pensions secretary David Gauke announced yesterday that the roll-out would go ahead despite a letter from at least 12 Tory MPs calling on it to be suspended.

On social media

Some were less than impressed with the government’s announcements:

Ouch pic.twitter.com/VwEOVh7gT3

— Sam Coates Times (@SamCoatesTimes)

Ouch pic.twitter.com/VwEOVh7gT3

— Sam Coates Times (@SamCoatesTimes) October 1, 2017

Adam Smith Institute chime in on Help to Buy extension:
"Like throwing petrol on bonfire"... advocate radical change in planning/ green belt

— Faisal Islam (@faisalislam)

Adam Smith Institute chime in on Help to Buy extension:
"Like throwing petrol on bonfire"... advocate radical change in planning/ green belt

— Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) October 1, 2017

What’s on

The Conservative Party conference is well underway, and although the communities secretary delivered his speech yesterday, this afternoon will see a panel discussion with newly elected Tory mayors.