New MPs struggle to set up offices due to security threats and high rents

Published

8 months ago

October 24, 2024

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Newly elected MPs are struggling to set up offices in their constituencies due to fears for their safety and spiralling rents, Sky News has learnt.

Several MPs who spoke to Sky News said they believed landlords were becoming increasingly reluctant to have them as tenants due to the perceived risks that came with the job – which one likened to the debanking row that engulfed Nigel Farage last year.

The combination of rising rents and increased security requirements has meant that some MPs have felt unable to have constituency offices on high streets and in buildings with shop windows, where they are visible and easily accessible to the public.

In some cases, they said they had received security advice recommending that they do not have very visible offices due to the need for enhanced protection.

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One MP said they were currently subletting a shopfront for their constituency office while they looked for somewhere more suitable long-term because the safety was not up to standard.

“Because budgets for renting are so tight and landlords are so scared of controversy, MPs are now struggling to be in their communities,” they told Sky News.

“There is a real conflict in that you want to appeal to your constituents, but the people who work for you and do casework are very mindful of some of the challenges of being in an open shop window and the threats that exist.

“Ultimately you can go and rent somewhere but it may not be appropriate for the work we are trying to do. The one compromise you can’t make is the safety and security of your people.”

MPs’ safety has been a longstanding cause for concern, with fears heightening since the murders of Jo Cox and Sir David Amess in 2016 and 2021, respectively.

Last year, the issue was thrust into the spotlight after Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons speaker, admitted that fears over the safety of MPs had been a factor in his decision-making in a contentious vote over the war in Gaza.

Jo Stevens, now the Welsh Secretary, had her constituency office in Cardiff vandalised following the vote, with the words “murderer” sprayed on the walls.

And Mike Freer, the former Conservative MP for Finchley and Golders Green, stood down at the last election following an arson attack on his office in December 2023.

In October, the House of Commons agreed to set up the Speaker’s conference with a new committee chaired by Sir Lindsay to discuss the issue of MPs’ safety and the effectiveness of the response to the threats they face.

‘We are less visible when trust is already low’

A Labour MP said there was now a “nervousness” among landlords that MPs may prove to be risky clients and that there was concern potential damage to their buildings may not be covered by insurance.

They said the issues combined meant the nature of the job was now changing.

“People now want to be in big, closed-off office blocks rather than high street locations that people can pop into.

“It’s almost similar to the de-banking scandal,” they added, referring to how some banks have refused to open bank accounts for some holders that could be deemed to pose a risk to the bank’s reputation.

“Because of these security concerns, we’ve got a new generation of MPs who are far less visible at a time when there’s already not a lot of trust in politics and politicians, and we don’t know yet what the consequences will be,” the MP added.

For the MPs who do want to rent an office on a high street – particularly in and around London – the rise in rents has made it “near impossible” to find one that offers value for money.

Budgets for renting out constituency offices are set by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), which also decides MPs’ pay.

For the financial year 2024-25, IPSA’s budget for entire office costs – extending beyond rent – was £36,500 for London, and £33,020 for non-London MPs.

One Labour MP in a new constituency in the capital said IPSA’s office finding service had struggled to find anything affordable in their area, forcing them to share a neighbouring MP’s office in the short term.

Paul Kohler, the Liberal Democrat MP for Wimbledon, told Sky News he was currently using a party campaign office while he looked for a more suitable one for constituency work.

“Clearly we want somewhere that is accessible to the public but the high street is not a cheap place to rent,” he said, adding: “The offices that are affordable aren’t suitable.”

On top of the office costs budget, IPSA has a separate budget for security costs.

For the financial year 2022-23, the most recent year for which data is available, the total amount spent on security assistance for MPs was £3.3m.

Sky News understands that IPSA has been made aware of a couple of incidents where landlords have withdrawn offers of rent after learning the prospective tenant is an MP.

An IPSA spokesperson told Sky News: “We support MPs with finding suitable constituency offices, including offering advice on how to secure properties which fit within their budgets.

“Some of the things we encourage MPs to consider include looking at more affordable spaces away from the high street, opting to hire venues for engagement with constituents, considering serviced offices, renting or subletting from the local party.

“We review budgets every year and take into account economic indicators and market information, as well as available information on commercial rents. We then make recommendations for any adjustments to the budgets, which are considered by our board.”

A House of Commons spokesperson said: “The ability for MPs to perform their parliamentary duties safely, both on and off the estate, is fundamental to our democracy.

“The parliamentary security department, working closely with the police, offer all MPs a range of security measures for those with offices or surgeries in their constituencies – helping to ensure a safe working environment.

“We do not comment on individual MPs’ security arrangements or advice because we would not wish to compromise the safety of MPs, parliamentary staff or members of the public, but these are kept under continuous review.”

Politics

Sir Keir Starmer could be ousted as PM within months, two senior Labour MPs tell Sky News

Published

3 mins ago

July 3, 2025

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No 10 backs Chancellor Rachel Reeves and says she 'is going nowhere' after tearful appearance in Commons

Two senior Labour MPs have suggested the prime minister may have to go within months if the government continues to perform poorly.

Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates said his sources – a member of the government and a prominent politician – have “put Sir Keir Starmer on notice”.

Both warned that, if Labour performs badly in next May’s elections across Wales, Scotland and London, it could mark the end of his time in Downing Street.

Coates added: “The level of unhappiness and despair in parts of the Labour Party is so striking that right now, on the first anniversary, I am hearing from ministers in government that Starmer might have to go in months.”

Reform UK is surging in the polls in Wales, while Labour faces a threat from left-wing parties such as the Greens in London.

It comes as the prime minister made it clear that Rachel Reeves has his “complete support” as chancellor and remains integral to his project, Sky News’s political editor Beth Rigby understands.

She looked visibly upset during Prime Minister’s Questions, with a spokesperson claiming she had been affected by a “personal matter”.

A day earlier, Sir Keir’s controversial welfare bill was passed despite a sizeable rebellion from Labour MPs, with major U-turns meaning a new £5bn black hole has appeared in the country’s finances.

One senior figure told Rigby that the pair were as “as close politically” as any chancellor and prime minister have ever been.

“She is going absolutely nowhere,” they added.

Ms Reeves’s tears sent markets spiralling, with the value of the pound and long-term government bonds falling sharply.

Later in the day Sir Keir, said Ms Reeves will be chancellor for a “very long time to come”.

The prime minister said it was “absolutely wrong” to suggest her tearful appearance in the Commons related to the welfare U-turn.

“It’s got nothing to do with politics, nothing to do with what’s happened this week. It was a personal matter for her,” he said while speaking to the BBC’s podcast Political Thinking with Nick Robinson.

“I’m not going to intrude on her privacy by talking to you about that. It is a personal matter.”

Asked if she will remain in post, he said: “She will be chancellor by the time this is broadcast, she will be chancellor for a very long time to come, because this project that we’ve been working on to change the Labour party, to win the election, change the country, that is a project which the chancellor and I’ve been working on together.”

He said Ms Reeves has done a “fantastic job” and added: “She and I work together, we think together. In the past, there have been examples – I won’t give any specific – of chancellors and prime ministers who weren’t in lockstep. We’re in lockstep.”

Politics

Starmer to set out 10-year vision for NHS

Published

3 mins ago

July 3, 2025

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Starmer to set out 10-year vision for NHS

Sir Keir Starmer will set out his 10-year vision for the NHS in what the government says is “one of the most seismic shifts” in the health service’s history.

He will pledge three main facets of the plan: moving care into the community, digitising the NHS, and a focus on sickness prevention.

The prime minister will announce neighbourhood health services will be rolled out across England to improve access to the NHS and to shift care out of overstrained hospitals.

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Sir Keir has already promised thousands more GPs will be trained, and to end the 8am “scramble” for an appointment.

He also previously said his government will bring the NHS into the digital age, with “groundbreaking” new tools to support GPs rolled out over the next two years – including AI to take notes, draft letters and enter data.

And he will promise new contracts that will encourage and allow GP practices to cover a wider geographical area, so small practices will get more support.

Unite, one of the UK’s largest healthcare unions, welcomed the plan cautiously but said staff need to be the focus to ensure people are better looked after.

‘Reform or die’

Sir Keir said: “The NHS should be there for everyone, whenever they need it.

“But we inherited a health system in crisis, addicted to a sticking plaster approach, and unable to face up to the challenges we face now, let alone in the future.

“That ends now. Because it’s reform or die.”

He said the government’s plan “will fundamentally rewire and futureproof our NHS, so that it puts care on people’s doorsteps, harnesses game-changing tech and prevents illness in the first place”.

The PM said it would not be an “overnight fix”, but claimed Labour are “already turning the tide on years of decline”, pointing towards more than four million extra appointments, 1,900 more GPs, and waiting lists at a two-year low.

“But there’s more to come,” he promised. “This government is giving patients easier, quicker and more convenient care, wherever they live.”

Neighbourhood health services

The newly announced neighbourhood health services will provide “pioneering teams” in local communities, so patients can more conveniently access a full range of healthcare services close to home.

Local areas will be encouraged to trial innovative schemes like community outreach door-to-door to detect early signs of illness and reduce pressure on GPs and A&E.

The aim is to eventually have new health centres open 12 hours a day, six days a week to offer GP services as well as diagnostics, post-operative care and rehab.

They will also offer services like debt advice, employment support, stop smoking help or weight management.

More NHS dentists

Dentists will also be part of the plan, with dental care professionals part of the neighbourhood teams.

Dental “therapists” will carry out check-ups, treatments and referrals, while dental nurses could give education and advice to parents or work with schools and community groups.

Newly qualified dentists will be required to practice in the NHS for a minimum period, which they have said will be three years.

Politics

‘Trust and confidence lost’ over grooming gang failures in Manchester, watchdog warns

Published

15 mins ago

July 3, 2025

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'Trust and confidence lost' over grooming gang failures in Manchester, watchdog warns

Despite making “significant improvements”, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has lost the “trust and confidence” of some victims of grooming gangs, according to a report by the police watchdog.

Michelle Skeer, His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, said that since 2019, when GMP started to review its non-recent child sexual exploitation investigations, “the force has improved its understanding and approach to investigating allegations of child criminal and sexual exploitation”.

The document, published today, said police have live investigations into “multi-victim, multi-offender” child sexual exploitation inquiries, involving 714 victims and survivors, and 1,099 suspects.

Grooming gangs scandal timeline

But despite recording improvements, a report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) also identified:

• Various training gaps within the investigation team
• Lack of consistency in evaluating case files between social care, health and police
• Failures to initially support victims meant they had “lost trust and confidence” in police

The report was commissioned by the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham in 2024 to evaluate whether police, councils and health services can protect children from sexual exploitation in the future.

Its release comes days after Sir Keir Starmer announced he was launching a new national inquiry into grooming gangs after previously arguing one was not necessary,

The findings were issued as the final part of the CSE (child sexual exploitation) Assurance Review process which started in 2017. The first three reports examined non-recent child sexual exploitation in Manchester, Oldham and Rochdale.

Mr Skeer said that the force has been trying to improve its service to those who have experienced sexual exploitation, but previous failings have badly affected trust in GMP.

He said: “For some, trust and confidence in the police had been lost, and the force would not be able to rectify their experiences.

“It is vital that improvements are led by victims’ experiences, and if they do come forward, they are supported, protected and taken seriously.”

A recent report by Baroness Casey found a significant over-representation of Asian men who are suspects in grooming gangs in Greater Manchester, adding though authorities are in “denial” more needs to be done to understand why this is the case.

Inspectors also said there were “training gaps” in some investigation teams and issues with data sharing, with local councils sometimes not willing to provide detectives with information, leading to “significant delays in investigations” into grooming gangs.

It cites problems with intelligence provided by Manchester City Council, which took months to arrive and “was so heavily redacted that some pages contained only a few words”, the report said.

GMP is the only force in the country to set up a dedicated team to investigate grooming gangs. Called the Child Sexual Exploitation Major Investigation Team (CSE MIT) it has about 100 staff and a ringfenced budget.

In October 2024, the force told inspectors there were 59 live multi-victim, multi-offender child sexual exploitation investigations, of which 13 were being managed by the CSE MIT.

The report adds: “The force fully accepts that it made mistakes in the past.

“It has taken positive and effective steps to learn from these mistakes and improve how it investigates recent and non-recent child sexual exploitation.”

Separately, the Baird Inquiry published in July 2024 found officers at GMP were abusing their power – making unlawful arrests, unlawful and demeaning strip searches, sometimes treating victims as perpetrators, and traumatising those who have suffered sexual abuse or domestic violence.