Ella Hollowood

With less than eight months to go until an expected autumn UK general election, Rishi Sunak has a steep climb to avoid defeat. If he calls an earlier summer vote, the ascent would become almost vertical. Support for the Conservatives has dropped to a low of 23 per cent, matching the previous nadir reached during Liz Truss’s brief premiership in October 2022, according to the FT’s poll tracker. The prime minister says he expects to hold an election in the second half of 2024, allowing time for…

After 15 years in the same two-bed property, Lucy is being forced to move because her landlord wants to sell. The business manager, who currently lives in St Albans, has a monthly housing budget of £1,400 and has looked at over 50 rentals in the past few months. (She requests anonymity for fear of stigma; “Lucy” is a pseudonym.) But she cannot find even a one-bedroom property for her and her youngest son, who is currently at university. She is far from alone. Surging rents and a lack of housin…

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