Stuart Trow, Columnist

All the Wrong Moves for British Homeowners

Government mandates are driving up property costs across the board.

June 10, 2025 at 4:00 AM UTC

Stuart Trow is co-host of “Money, Money, Money” on Switch Radio and author of “The Bluffer’s Guide to Economics.” Previously, he was a strategist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 29: A general view of the uncompleted "Patchwork" housing project in the Walthamstow area, on August 29, 2024 in London, England. The New Homes Accelerator Programme will identify large sites where development has stalled. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)Photographer: Leon Neal/Getty Images Europe

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When it comes to housing policy, the British government motto ought to be: We have met the enemy and it is us.

The law of unintended regulatory, fiscal and monetary consequences has stopped investment in its tracks. Left to its own devices, the market functions pretty well. But right now, for everyone from the homeless to first-time buyers, it’s essentially paralyzed.