Conservatives

Fewer new homes may now be built in this country after the Tory-led coalition government controversially abolished all housebuilding targets, in accordance with their manifesto.

The Conservative communities secretary Eric Pickles has written to various councils confirming that the new government will scrap the previous government's national housebuilding targets.

First-time buyers and much of the housing industry would condemn the government if it failed to permanently raise the stamp duty threshold to £250,000 for first-time buyers, in accordance with the Tory manifesto.

Despite pledging to permanently raise the stamp duty threshold to £250,000 for first-time buyers, the new coalition government, led by the conservatives, has announced that it will appraise the merits of raising the stamp duty threshold for first time buyers, rather than provided the immediate help that is necessary.

Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone.

I can exclusively reveal that the first housing pledge of the new coalition Government is a promise to build three new homes by 2020.

That is a joke - I hope. Labour claimed they were going to build three million new homes by 2020 and how we laughed. Under our shamefully slow and ineffective planning system, it can take months to get permission for an awning over the guinea pig cage, yet alone for new homes.

The Conservative MP and former shadow housing minister Grant Shapps has been named as the new minister for housing.

The Welwyn Hatfield MP, who replaces Labour MP John Healy, will be tasked with increasing the supply of new homes, including the construction of more affordable homes.

Shapps has beaten off competition from Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson Sarah Teather for the housing post.

After five days of political wrangling following an indecisive outcome at last week's general election, a Liberal Democrat-Conservative coalition government was formed on Tuesday.

We now know who the prime minister is, along with a range of other top cabinet jobs, but the new housing minister has still not yet been named. Perhaps the shortage of new build homes and high number of people on housing waiting lists are not of pressing concern to the new administration.

The Liberal Democrats proposed 'mansion tax' will not be introduced after the new Prime Minister David Cameron agreed not to increase the inheritance tax threshold.

The Liberal Democrats wanted homeowners to pay an annual tax of 1% on homes worth at least £2m.

This is just one of a number of policy compromises that the new Tory-led coalition government will have to make.

The income tax threshold is set to rise to £10,000, a Lib-Dem policy, which could save some landlords money on their net rental income.

David Cameron, the man hoping to become the next Prime Minister, is calling on the Liberal Democrats to make a final decision over which party they will back to govern this country.

Yesterday, the Liberal Democrats opened formal talks with Labour, after Gordon Brown announced that he would resign as leader.

However, the Tories remain confident of gaining Liberal Democrat support to form a government, after they won the most seats at last week's general election but were short of an overall majority.

Forgive the personal indulgence, but my wife Kelly gave birth to Jemima yesterday morning - the day of the General Election.

We joked about calling her Tory after 13 hours of labour; or rather I joked, being a bloke who only had to put up with the politics of Labour, not go through it.

The whole of poor Jemima's life to date has been taken up with watching the General Election. She largely kept her counsel, apart from being sick when Harriet Harman opened her mouth. It would not surprise me if her first word is 'coalition' rather than 'Peppa Pig.'

People who backed David Cameron and the Conservative party to win the most seats in this week's general election can now go collect their winnings, after the bookmaker announced it is paying out early on bets placed on a Tory victory.

Paddy Power will pay out in the region of £100,000 in winnings because it is so confident of a Conservative victory.

The Tories had their odds for winning the most seats slashed from 1/5 a week ago to 1/16, following David Cameron's strong performance in the final TV debate last week.

The cost of building new homes in Scotland would soar under a Liberal Democrat government, according to the Conservative party.

The conservatives are trying to combat the recent surge in support for the Liberal Democrats by slamming its housing policies.