Michael Gove’s attempt to force housebuilders to pay £4bn of fire safety repair costs by threatening to stop firms trading is “unrealistic” and “inequitable”, according to the chief executive of Redrow.

Matthew Pratt today became the first listed housebuilder chief executive to speak out publicly against the housing secretary’s plan, which saw a senior communities department official wrote to housebuilders last week urging them to sign up to a heads of terms financial agreement drawn up by the department.

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