Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declared war on "cowboy builders," vowing to put unscrupulous tradespeople out of business. In an opinion piece published in the Daily Mail, Burnham described these individuals as "crooks" who "destroy lives" and prey on vulnerable individuals.
Burnham cited figures indicating that homeowners have lost an estimated £14.3 billion over the past five years due to fraudulent builders. He stated that these tradesmen "rob our neighbours of their futures and, above all else, they destroy lives."
In response, the government is endorsing two new initiatives aimed at safeguarding homeowners. The first is a smartphone application named Trusted Partners, set to launch next week. This app will hold homeowners' funds, releasing payments to builders only after specific project milestones have been successfully completed. The Department for Business and Trade expects up to 100,000 traders across Britain to be using the app by the end of September. It was developed by a private company in collaboration with TrustMark, a government-approved quality scheme.
The second initiative, the Approved Codes Scheme for the home improvement sector, is a joint effort by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and the Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman. Businesses participating in this scheme will be required to demonstrate higher standards of customer service. This program is scheduled to launch at the end of September and be fully operational by December. While the government supports both schemes, it has not provided direct funding.
Burnham's announcement follows his visits to workers in Wales and political leaders as Parliament prepares to reconvene. The government's backing of these schemes signifies a commitment to addressing the issue of substandard and fraudulent building work affecting homeowners across the country.