I’m concerned Tory Housing Secretary Michael Gove may backtrack on his pledge to effectively abolish the leasehold system for millions of family homes in England and Wales.

That would be a blow to the almost 4,000 leaseholders affected in my Weaver Vale constituency since 2010, many in Winnington, Northwich. Across the country, the number reaches a staggering 4.86 million.

If you’re baffled, read on. I was the same in 2017 when, not long elected, a Northwich woman informed me about this strange system called leasehold, with increasing ground rents, obscure service charges, and bizarre admin fees for pets, extensions, alterations, and for-sale signs. And they couldn't sell their properties.

I thought she was making it up. But I soon came to realise this archaic system of leasehold was allowing developers, freeholders, managing agents, solicitors, and insurers to make things up and put things up on an industrial scale.

Gove raised expectations by promising to scrap leasehold, but media reports suggest the upcoming King's Speech will now include only light touch reform.

If true, it's another example of Government failing to tackle injustices impacting working people and raises suspicions about links between certain propertied interests and the Tory Party.

For the unfamiliar, leasehold involves buying a home while an external company retains ownership of the freehold, allowing profiteers to attach all kinds of rip-off charges.

I hoped Gove would embrace 'commonhold' as an alternative. This allows flats within an apartment block to be owned on a freehold basis by the occupants. While house dwellers must be permitted to buy their own freehold easily and cheaply.

And ministers should place restrictions and limitations on current ground rents and service charges, ensuring they are reasonable, transparent and reflective of the services provided.

By removing financial incentives from the system, we ensure its demise.

Reforms achieved so far are due to pressure from organisations like the National Leasehold Campaign, which I’m proud to support.

For example, last year's Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act eliminated ground rents for new leasehold properties. However, the Tories shamefully voted against my amendment to extend these protections to existing leaseholders.

It's vital we keep up the fight for justice. My stance is clear - I’m campaigning for either the current Government or a future Labour government to kick leasehold into history. It’s time to end this feudal system once and for all.