Tory mayoral candidate desires extra housing as he slams Sadiq
Samuel Kasumu has promised to struggle for younger individuals desirous to get on the housing ladder (Image: Getty / Lewis Patrick)
In every week when it appears the tide of British politics turned towards NIMBYism, a frontrunner to take the Tory struggle to Sadiq Khan has stated blocking houses is “completely immoral” and vowed to get London constructing.
Speaking to the Express this week, Mr Kasumu launched an impassioned case for extra housebuilding – particularly to assist younger individuals get a foot on the housing ladder – accusing politicians of getting forgone investing in it “in order to somehow maintain some semblance of power”, including: “It’s just wrong”.
He went on to criticise politicians, in Westminster and past, saying they need to ask themselves: “What do they want their legacy to be?”.
“Do they want their legacy to be that in pursuit of political gain, having stopped aspiration? Or do they want their legacy to be one where they were clearly on the right side of history? That’s a question for them.”
The top Tory has gained momentum over the past fortnight, with significant endorsements from heavyweights Grant Shapps, Priti Patel, Nadhim Zahawi and Nadine Dorries.
READ MORE: Starmer goes to war with NIMBYs as Labour leader will allow Green Belt building
Mr Kasumu is one of the front runners to secure the Tory nomination (Image: Emanuel K Miranda)
The son of Nigerian parents, Samuel Kasumu’s childhood was beset by insecure housing: “I grew up in social housing, we moved a lot. I probably moved homes every year between the age of seven and 13,” he added.
His childhood experience of housing clearly feeds his current mission to bolster construction – which he acknowledges “is not politically convenient for me.”
Samuel Kasumu, a former race advisor to Boris Johnson in Downing Street, grew up in the North London borough of Chipping Barnet, getting into politics while delivering leaflets for local MP, Theresa Villiers.
Despite saying he wouldn’t be where he is today if not for his activism for Ms Villiers, they do not see eye-to-eye on the issue of building more homes for the capital. Last week, she gave an interview to the Times explaining her opposition to mass housebuilding in her area.
While emphasising he still holds a keen fondness for her, Ms Villiers’s former loyal campaigner says she represents some of the fears of those most resistant to his campaign on the issue.
Mr Kasumu said it’s essential that those lucky enough to buy young, and experienced their property’s worth rocket, now understand the “seriousness of the situation,” faced by younger people.
He added: “I think that it is possible for both sides of this debate to have a better understanding of where each other are coming from. But that can’t be at the expense or the detriment of moving away from the core mission, which is trying to create a country where the next generation are able to do the things that others have been able to.”
Mr Kasumu says London must get building – and NIMBYs can’t be allowed to get in the way (Image: Getty)
He also objects to the wider Tory strategy of pandering to older homeowners: “It is completely immoral to forego the opportunity to invest in house building in order to somehow maintain some semblance of power. It’s just wrong.”
One of his more eye-catching proposals is to revive the old Boris Johnson plan for street votes, bypassing “politically compromised” councillors with “hyperlocalism”, and letting individual streets hold referendums on their own planning proposals.
He also wants to re-open Sadiq Khan’s London Plan, which set a target of 52,000 new homes a year. Mr Kasumu believes an objective assessment of need would put the required figure closer to 66,000 homes – though it could likely rise to 100,000 homes a year.
As Mayor, he would force local London councils to publish league tables, not just of completed properties but also of granted planning permissions, to shame those not doing enough.
He adds that building more densely around travel infrastructure – not least tube stations and the newly opened Elizabeth Line stations – would help alleviate the housing crisis and, simultaneously, lessen concerns in outer London about threats to green spaces.
Mr Kasumu accused Sadiq Khan of always looking for someone else to blame (Image: Getty)
When asked for his response to Sadiq Khan’s demand for the power to introduce rent caps, Mr Kasumu had a blunt reply: “I think that Sadiq Khan doesn’t understand basic economics”.
He said 700,000 Brits missed mortgage or rent payments in April, and rent control would only increase the strain on mortgage-paying landlords and lower overall supply.
“It’s a completely wrong idea. Again, it just goes back to him blaming everybody else. So he’s decided that he’s tired of blaming the government directly and now he wants to blame landlords for the situation.
“It’s really pretty embarrassing to be honest.”
Mr Kasumu counts Harold Macmillan among his political idols, who built 300,000 homes a year (Image: Getty)
Rarely for a Conservative politician, Kasumu takes inspiration not from Thatcher or Churchill, but from the lesser-celebrated Harold Macmillan, who as housing secretary built 300,000 homes a year – for a much smaller population.
“Macmillan is one of my heroes; in post-war Britain people were perhaps more keen on housebuilding than they are today, but he set the target, he was able to galvanise the machinery of government to galvanise developers, the capital, you name it, he was able to do it, but he had the political courage and the political will. And that’s what we need.”
He added: “Building is the art of the possible.”
He’ll go up against the handful of other candidates among London Tories over the coming weeks, before the winning candidate is announced in the middle of July.
Is Kasumu brave enough to take his tough talk on the need for housing to Conservative party members?
“I think I’m on the right side of history. Whether that means I become the mayoral candidate or not, I definitely don’t think my voice will be forgotten.”