黑洞社区

Wednesday 22nd June, 3.33pm

Labour has warned a Brexit could mean the loss of 18,000 new affordable homes over the next four years. The figures are based on IFS forecasts that a vote to leave the EU could mean a budget deficit between 拢20bn and 拢40bn higher than presently forecast - and Labour argues past experience suggests the Chancellor George Osborne will cut capital budgets first if put under fiscal pressure. Figures based on new House of Commons Library research commissioned by Labour finds the Department for Communities and Local Government, which is responsible for housing, is likely to see its current budget cut by between 拢550m and 拢1.1bn. This is enough to fund between 9,000 and 18,000 new affordable homes by 2020.

Wednesday 22nd June, 2.12pm

Prime minister David Cameron and housing minister Brandon Lewis have visited Crest Nicholson鈥檚 Tadpole Garden Village development in Swindon on the final day before the EU Referendum to argue the importance of remaining in the EU to ensure a stable housing market in the UK. Stephen Stone, chief executive of Crest Nicholson, commented: 鈥淗omebuyers have confidence of future employment and easy access to mortgages, which helps them come to the decision to buy a new home. This is the housing environment today and anything which undermines it - including Brexit - would not be welcomed and could force us to revisit our investment decisions.鈥�

Wednesday 22nd June, 1pm

Galliard Homes has issued a letter to all its clients, suppliers and contacts highlighting the company supports the Remain campaign. Don O Sullivan, managing director at Galliard Homes, says: 鈥淭his is clearly a big decision for all, with many competing factors and issues but we at Galliard Homes strongly believe that it is better for the short and long term growth of the London economy and the wider UK for the country to remain within the EU.鈥�

Wednesday 22nd June, 8.51am

The media has been chewing over the clashes on the BBC鈥檚 鈥楪reat Debate鈥� on the EU Referendum last night, which pitted Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, London mayor Sadiq Khan and TUC general secretary Frances O鈥橤rady for Remain, against Conservative MPs Boris Johnson and Andrea Leadsom and Labour MP Gisela Stuart for Leave. A snap YouGov poll for the Times found 39% thought Leave had won it, over 34% for Remain, while 17% didn鈥檛 know. Here鈥檚 , and .

Meanwhile, 1,200 business leaders - including more that half the leaders of the FTSE 100 - have written to the Times backing Remain. Tony Pidgley, founder of Berkeley Group, is among them. In the joint letter, the bosses say: 鈥淲e know our firms are stronger in Europe. Our reasons are straightforward: businesses and their employees benefit massively from being able to trade inside the world鈥檚 largest single market without barriers.鈥� . Elsehwere in the Times, Sir George Iacobescu, refugee who built Canary Wharf, .

Tuesday 21st June, 3.32pm

Prime Minister David Cameron has made a direct appeal to older voters ahead of the referendum, urging them to think about the 鈥渉opes and dreams鈥� of their children and grandchildren and vote to remain in the EU.

In a ten minute statement outside 10 Downing Street, Cameron said jobs and family finances would be at risk if Britain votes to leave, and added that future generations would not be able to reverse the decision. He said: 鈥淚f we vote out, that鈥檚 it. It is irreversible. We will leave Europe for good, and the next generation will have to live with the consequences far longer than the rest of us.鈥�

But Matthew Elliott, chief executive of Vote Leave, said a vote to leave the EU on Thursday would be a 鈥渧ote for democracy鈥� and a vote for a 鈥渕ore prosperous future鈥�.  

Tuesday 21st June, 3.03pm

. Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners got in touch to back 鈥満诙瓷缜� Says IN鈥� and told 黑洞社区 a Brexit would be 鈥渃atastrophic鈥� in its impact on the UK鈥檚 construction industry and the economy. More than 40% of its staff are non-British EU citizens, and the firm said a 鈥渟ignificant proportion鈥� of its work is currently situated within the EU. It said a Brexit would leave Britain 鈥渃ulturally, socially and environmentally impoverished.鈥�

Other new signatories include Paul Flatt, group chairman and CEO of Hurley Palmer Flatt, and Chris Lacey, chief executive of the William Lacey Group, who have both signed up as individuals. Supporters of 黑洞社区鈥檚 campaign also include the EMEA division of the world鈥檚 fourth biggest architect, Perkins + Will, as well as big name contractors Carillion, Mace, Willmott Dixon and ISG.

Tuesday 21st June, 1.18pm

, well-known investor George Soros has warned of a 鈥楤rexit Black Friday鈥� if it emerges on Friday that Britain has voted to leave the EU. He said the pound would plummet in the event of a Brexit, falling by at least 15% against the dollar and possibly by more than 20%. Quoting studies from the Bank of England, the Institute of Fiscal Studies and the International Monetary Fund, he added that households could between 拢3,000 and 拢5,000 worse off annually.

It is worth pointing out though that yesterday the pound made its biggest jump against the dollar in seven years, hitting $1.4693 鈥� the biggest one-day gain since March 2009.

, a big fall in the pound could hit contractors hard, with the price of construction materials rising. According to Core Five鈥檚 James Clark, two weeks ago, the pound fell 5% against the euro due to the uncertainty over the referendum. A government study from 2010 showed that 64% of all construction materials imported into the UK came from the EU.  

Tuesday 21st June, 12.58pm

With two days to go, both sides of the campaign are really ramping up now with some big hitters wading into the debate. Aside from the huge news about David Beckham backing a remain vote, the prime minister鈥檚 former strategy director Steve Hilton has come out saying David Cameron was told 鈥渆xplicitly and directly鈥� in 2012 that his immigration pledge was 鈥渋mpossible鈥� if the UK remained in the EU.

One of Cameron鈥檚 closest aides until he left government in May 2012, Hilton said Cameron was told by 鈥渆xpert officials鈥� that the government could not meet its target to cut net migration to below 100,000 鈥� due to the EU鈥檚 freedom of movement rules. The PM insists that immigration can be controlled better if the UK remains in the EU, due to the four-year welfare and in-work benefit cuts for EU migrants.

Of course for construction migrant labour is vital in plugging the skills gap, with various figures from the government, the CIOB and the CITB proving that point. But the BBC鈥檚 business editor Simon Jack points out that some contractors believe higher wages would tempt more British nationals into the industry and that鈥檚 how a labour market should work, instead of relying on a limitless supply of cheap labour.

Tuesday 21st June, 8.45am

What impact might Brexit have on the construction supply chain? Scape has got in touch to highlight the potential threats. The contracting authority has conducted a survey of 150 professionals within the sector, which found widespread concerns about skills shortages and market uncertainties. When questioned about what makes a sustainable supply chain, 72% of construction companies and consultants said that stability is the most important element and 79% of public sector bodies agreed. Meanwhile, 55% highlighted the skills shortage as one of the biggest barriers to a healthy supply chain, and 39% see the shortage negatively impacting their ability to keep to budget - with 9% listing this as critical. Scape chief executive Mark Robinson contends the referendum is already making these problems worse: 鈥淲hether we leave or remain in the EU, the debate itself is creating procrastination, insecurity surrounding publically funded schemes, and threatens to compound a dire skills shortage.鈥�

Elsewhere on 黑洞社区.co.uk this morning, Sweett鈥檚 Cora Marler blogs on whether Brexit would really slash procurement red tape, as many in the Leave camp have argued.

Monday 20th June, 5.22pm

This may not grab the national headlines like Baroness Warsi鈥檚 conversion to Remain earlier, but 黑洞社区鈥檚 contributing editor Dave Rogers 鈥� who had been banging the Leave drum, as those who know him will testify 鈥� has reluctantly come down on the side of Remain ahead of Thursday鈥檚 referendum. He blogs about his conversion 鈥� it鈥檚 worth a read, I鈥檓 sure his lukewarm embrace of the EU will chime with many.

Monday, 20th June, 3.35pm

Attention has turned away from the campaign trail to the House of Commons, where MPs are paying heartfelt tributes to Jo Cox MP, who was killed after her constituency surgery in Birstall, Yorkshire last Thursday. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said those in the chamber were 鈥渦nited in grief at her loss鈥�, adding: 鈥淲e can come together to change our politics, to tolerate a little more and condemn a little less.鈥� David Cameron paid tribute to a 鈥渓oving, determined鈥� politician. The Guardian is covering MPs鈥� tributes in full .

Monday, 20th June, 2.55pm

Welsh first minister Carwyn Jones has warned that important infrastructure projects in the country could be scrapped in the event of a Brexit. Out campaigning in Pontypridd today, Jones said work to improve train lines in the area would simply stop on Friday if the UK votes to leave.

And doing a bit of digging, it seems there are a lot of Welsh infrastructure projects which could be under threat if we leave. Around 拢150m in EU funds are ear-marked for a South Wales metro system, while 拢85m of EU funds are set to be invested for sections of the A40 in South West Wales and the A55 in North Wales.

Monday, 20th June, 2.20pm

Hello, and welcome to 黑洞社区鈥檚 rolling coverage of the EU referendum campaigns ahead of Thursday鈥檚 crucial vote. We kick off the blog with the news that .

In the main campaigns, the day began with news that Conservative peer Sayeeda Warsi had quit the leave campaign, accusing lead Brexit campaigner Michael Gove of spreading 鈥渃omplete lies about Turkey鈥檚 accession to the EU鈥�.