Plans to abolish ‘feudal’ leasehold system in England and Wales dropped

Row between Michael Gove and No 10 results in end of promise to scrap leaseholds

• What is leasehold, and are there any alternatives?

Plans to abolish the “feudal” system of leaseholds across England and Wales have been dropped after a battle between Downing Street and Michael Gove.

Gove, the housing secretary, will next month announce a range of measures to protect the 10 million Britons who own their homes in a leasehold, as part of a major speech following months of bruising party rows over housing.