Basingstoke MP welcomes crackdown on cowboy builders

The measures aim to protect homeowners from rogue traders and give people greater peace of mind when carrying out building work.

From September, a new Government-supported scheme will introduce an Approved Code, allowing customers to identify trusted traders who meet higher standards of customer service, transparency, and dispute resolution.

The scheme will also protect customer payments by tying them to key project milestones.

Mr Murphy said: "This announcement is really welcome for many families across Basingstoke.

"After hearing the financial devastation, disrespect, and stress that families in my constituency have experienced at the hands of rogue builders and bailiffs, I’ve been pushing for more action to give local people more security.

Basingstoke's Labour MP Luke Murphy (Image: Newsquest)

"I’m delighted this Labour Government is now calling time on cowboy builders.

"This action is an important step forward, meaning residents of our town can now have more confidence when hiring traders, secure in the knowledge that their money will be protected whilst building works are ongoing."

The MP has been raising the issue with Government colleagues after hearing from numerous Basingstoke residents who have been left with unsafe homes and thousands of pounds in unexpected costs due to poor-quality or unfinished building work.

In several cases, residents wrote directly to Mr Murphy’s office to complain about exploitation by rogue builders.

In March, a builder from Hampshire was jailed for five years and banned from carrying out building work for a decade.

Mr Murphy said the new measures are a "real win" for residents, noting that more than one in four UK adults who commissioned home improvements in the past 18 months reported problems.

Issues commonly include abandoned projects, overcharging vulnerable people for poor-quality work, and builders disappearing with upfront payments.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: "Cowboy builders don't just rip people off.

"They leave families with months of stress, the disruption of unfinished work, and that horrible feeling of being taken advantage of.

"Not only that, but they give the vast majority of decent, hardworking tradespeople a bad name.

"So we're putting the cowboys out of business.

"These changes mean you'll now have the option to make sure your money is held safely and released bit by bit as the work gets done."

The announcement also supports trustworthy builders by preventing them from being undercut by rogue operators and helping customers choose reputable businesses.

With more than one in three recent home renovations resulting in extra costs, costing people an average of £750, Mr Murphy said the new scheme is an important part of the Labour Government’s plan to deliver practical solutions and restore fairness.

The announcement also includes tougher regulation of bailiffs, an issue Mr Murphy has raised in the past.

Mr Murphy said: "I’m also glad to see the Government taking action on rogue bailiffs, like I called for just months ago.

"Aggressive and intimidating bailiffs should be held accountable for their unacceptable behaviour towards vulnerable people and families here in Basingstoke."

Kate Dearden, Minister responsible for consumer protection, said: "When you hand a builder thousands of pounds, you’re not just trusting them with your money.

"You’re trusting them with your home.

"Yet cowboy builders have left too many people with work half-finished, thousands of pounds down the drain and, in the worst cases, homes that aren’t safe to live in.

"Now, these new changes will make it easier to identify reputable traders and better protect people’s hard-earned money while work is being done."

The Government is also planning a wider review of the consumer protection system.

This review will look at how organisations like Citizens Advice and Trading Standards can work better with regulators and redress schemes to deliver faster, more effective support to the public.