A Camden man trapped in a crumbling flat has called on Keir Starmer to enact urgent law changes after it emerged a fellow housing campaigner had been found dead.

Daniel Bruce, 40, published an open letter urging the Prime Minister - who is his MP - to personally order the government action he called for last year while leader of the opposition.

The letter, co-signed by almost 100 other people living in dangerous or defective homes, was written after the family of Clapham campaigner Amanda Walker announced her death in the Sunday Times.

Mrs Walker told the House of Lords last year she had spent years facing financial ruin after buying a flat in a block she later learned was covered in flammable cladding.

In January, she was found dead with sleeping pills, antidepressants, painkillers and alcohol in her system, her mother said.

Describing Mrs Walker as “a warrior”, Daniel said the “mental torture” suffered by people trapped in unsafe homes had to end.

But, his letter complained: “The story still doesn’t appear to be convincing enough for the government to act swiftly and decisively.”

Daniel is among first-time buyers who bought brand new apartments at 53 Agar Grove, Camden Town, only for the building to quickly start falling apart.

Walls are cracked, ceilings have collapsed and residents are plagued by leaks. Surveyors say the block is moving and may have to be demolished.

The flats have been valued at £0 and deemed uninsurable – but the warranty provider has so far failed to reimburse the buyers, leaving them trapped.

Buyers moved into 53 Agar Grove, Camden Town, less than five years ago. But within months they were reporting cracked walls, collapsing ceilings and water damage caused by constant leaksBuyers moved into 53 Agar Grove, Camden Town, less than five years ago. But within months they were reporting cracked walls, collapsing ceilings and water damage caused by constant leaks (Image: Charles Thomson)

As Agar Grove falls within Mr Starmer’s Holborn and St Pancras constituency, Daniel and his neighbours have been in frequent contact with his office.

In a May 2023 letter to Michael Gove (then secretary of state for the Department of Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities, or DLUHC), Mr Starmer wrote: “I look forward to details of how your department will now ensure that my constituents are put back in the place they should have been had their homes been built correctly.”

He added in an interview with Inside Housing on July 2, 2024: “The government must play their part and seek a resolution. My constituents cannot be left paying the cost of a broken system.”

Two days later, on July 4, Labour won the general election.

Mr Starmer became Prime Minister and DLUHC was rebranded as the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

Despite the obvious problems at 53 Agar Grove, backed up by expert surveyors' reports, the warranty provider has neither reimbursed the buyers nor commissioned repairsDespite the obvious problems at 53 Agar Grove, backed up by expert surveyors' reports, the warranty provider has neither reimbursed the buyers nor commissioned repairs (Image: Charles Thomson)

Daniel’s open letter says Mr Starmer must now ensure the action he called for in opposition is taken, not only for the Agar Grove buyers, but all innocent buyers lumbered with defective properties.

“Surely, you still demand this of MHCLG now that you can directly effect change and make it your assurance that those harmed by those who build dangerously defective homes will be made whole,” he wrote.

“I now make the same request of you as you made of DLUHC: hold the sector to account rather than its victims.”

The Ham&High sent Daniel’s open letter to the Downing Street press office for a response, but the reply came instead from MHCLG.

It said: “Our heartfelt sympathies go out to Amanda’s loved ones. We are urgently looking at all options to ensure residents no longer have to face the ordeal of living in unsafe buildings.

“The situation faced by the innocent residents of Agar Grove is also deplorable and we are pushing responsible parties to meet their obligations swiftly.”

Daniel was unimpressed.

Daniel Bruce, like Amanda Walker, has become a prominent campaigner for improved rights for people who buy properties that later turn out to be defectiveDaniel Bruce, like Amanda Walker, has become a vocal campaigner for improved rights for people who buy properties that later turn out to be defective (Image: Charles Thomson) “This is basically just the same thing people in defective housing have already heard over and over again for seven years,” he said, referencing the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017.

“The PM is also my MP and the letter asked, quite reasonably, that he make the same demands of MHCLG that he made whilst in opposition.

“So I find it strange that, given the opportunity to do so, he chose to pass such a straightforward request to MHCLG – especially given Sir Keir’s now elevated position to deliver his previous demands.

“Innocent homeowners should not carry the cost of industry-wide, government-enabled failure – something Sir Keir has been clear on.

“And so we ask, once again: How will he ensure that we are all put back in the position we should have been had our homes been built correctly?”