In this episode of Housing Unpacked, Tom Bill is joined by Alex Webster, Head of Lending at Coutts, for a discussion about wealth, lending and property at a time when political uncertainty and market volatility have become part of everyday life. With speculation mounting over tax policy, interest rates and the economic outlook, Alex explains why many wealthy buyers are continuing to transact and why, in her view, volatility has become the "new normal". The conversation explores how ultra-high-net-worth individuals think about property, debt and wealth creation, and why some of the assumptions people make about the prime market are often wrong.

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What would a Burnham premiership mean in practice? Tom is joined by former Treasury special adviser James Nation to explore which policies will remain longer-term ambitions, and what is realistically deliverable in the near term.

Will a coronation create legitimacy concerns? Is an emergency Budget needed? And with fiscal wriggle room tight, who becomes Chancellor and how difficult is the job they inherit?

For the property market, there is a lot on the line. There is renewed speculation around CGT alignment with income tax, a familiar debate over the merits of a land value tax, and early signals on greater devolution of fiscal powers.

But each comes with big questions around how much revenue they raise, how quickly they can be delivered, and whether they survive contact with Treasury scrutiny.

Either way, Burnham will now be judged on what he does rather than what he says.

After decades being shaped by global investors and rapid price growth, today’s market is more price-sensitive and domestically-driven. In this episode of Housing Unpacked, Tom Bill speaks with Anthony Payne, CEO and co-founder of LonRes, to examine what’s happening at the top end of London’s residential market. They discuss what LonRes data reveals about prices and transaction volumes across different markets and price points in the capital, the extent to which super-prime deals are still taking place and the rising number of fall-throughs. The conversation also explores whether the market is nearing a turning point or settling into a prolonged period of more muted growth and the one thing Anthony believes is needed to boost demand – and it’s not a stamp duty cut.

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Tom is joined by Helen Thomas, CEO of Blonde Money, to unpack the political shockwaves around Andy Burnham’s attempt to become an MP, the growing tension between government policy and bond markets, and what it means for mortgages and property prices. With inflation risks building from energy disruption and markets wary of looser fiscal policy, they explore why mortgage rates may stay higher for longer and what a potential leadership change - or even an early election - could mean for the housing market. Against such a fast-moving backdrop, they explore the merits of fixing a mortgage for two or five years.

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On this episode of Housing Unpacked, Tom Bill is joined by Peter Murray OBE, co‑founder of New London Architecture, founder of the London Festival of Architecture and a former design adviser to two London Mayors. As he prepares his own run for London Mayor in 2028 as an independent, Murray explains the tipping point behind his decision to enter politics, driven by what he sees as a lack of understanding in City Hall about the mayor’s responsibility to deliver homes, infrastructure and better streets. He sets out his “get stuff done” philosophy, arguing that housing delivery in London has been choked by uncertainty, slow planning and strained relations with the development sector. Drawing on decades of experience across architecture, journalism and real estate, Murray outlines proposals to accelerate housing delivery, revive SME builders, restore certainty for investors, and bring design back to the top table through a City Architect. The conversation also covers density, tall buildings, affordability, transport reform, road pricing and what a more pragmatic, delivery‑focused mayor could mean for London’s future.

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In this episode of Housing Unpacked, Tom is joined by Louisa Sedgwick, managing director of mortgages at buy-to-let specialist lender Paragon Bank to explore the Renters’ Rights Act and what it really means for landlords and tenants. They discuss her involvement lobbying two separate governments on issues like the end of Section 21, the shift to periodic tenancies, tighter controls around asking rents, and why well‑intentioned reforms may squeeze supply, push rents higher, and disadvantage more vulnerable renters. The conversation also explores the recent mortgage market shock caused by the Middle East conflict and the looming challenge of meeting new energy efficiency standards.

If it holds, the Middle East ceasefire will boost activity in the housing market as spring gets underway, but it hasn’t removed the pressure keeping mortgage rates high. In this episode of Housing Unpacked, Tom Bill is joined by Helen Thomas, CEO of Blonde Money, to explain why borrowing costs are unlikely to snap back to mid-February levels. They explore how the conflict will create a lasting supply‑side inflation shock, why bond investors still see the UK as a risk, what that means for mortgage rates, and the competing pressures on the Bank of England. The discussion also examines whether an internal challenge or the bond market is more likely to bring Keir Starmer’s premiership to a premature end.

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In this episode, Tom and Michael Brown unpack how the Bank of England’s unexpectedly hawkish messaging last week helped ignite a sharp repricing across markets already rattled by the Middle East conflict, pushing swap rates up by nearly a full percentage point, and exposing the UK’s fragile fiscal backdrop. They explore why the Bank may be fighting the wrong inflation battle and what this means for borrowers weighing two‑ versus five‑year fixes, and why both housing market activity and policy decisions are now hostage to fast‑shifting geopolitical and energy‑price risks.

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