Black Brick Founder and Managing Partner Camilla Dell gives her response to the Autumn Budget 2026 in PrimeResi‘s “Talking Heads” feature (28 October 2026), in which prime property industry insiders react to the Chancellor’s announcements.
Camilla describes the Budget as a missed opportunity to address the challenges facing the UK property market, particularly the need for meaningful stamp duty reform.
Why stamp duty reform matters
Camilla Dell, Managing Partner at Black Brick, told PrimeResi:
“Stamp duty reform is vital if we are serious about getting the property market moving again.”
Camilla argues that high transaction taxes discourage homeowners from moving, which reduces property sales and affects the wider economy. She highlights Knight Frank research estimating that stamp duty revenue from sales above £5 million in England fell by £541 million in the 18 months following the October 2024 Budget, alongside a 14% decline in those sales.
Your First Home and London
While welcoming the Government’s ambition to support first-time buyers through the new Your First Home scheme, Camilla questions its effectiveness in London, where high property prices and development costs could limit the availability of eligible new-build homes.
For Camilla, a healthier housing market requires both greater access to affordable homes and a tax system that encourages movement. Without meaningful reform, she warns that the Government risks continuing to restrict property transactions, housing mobility and wider economic growth.
To see what you would pay on a purchase, use our stamp duty calculator.
