Reform UK MP buys £800,000 second home days after questioning second-home impact
Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin purchased an £800,000 property on the Welsh island of Anglesey just two days after submitting a parliamentary question about the effects of second homes on rural communities.
A Reform UK member of parliament has bought a second home worth £800,000 on the Welsh island of Anglesey, only two days after raising a formal question in parliament about how second-home ownership affects rural and coastal areas.
Sarah Pochin, who represents Runcorn and Helsby in Cheshire, submitted a written question to housing minister Matthew Pennycook on 15 June, asking what assessment had been made of second homes' impact on housing availability in coastal and rural communities. Pennycook responded that high concentrations of short-term lets and second homes reduce the availability and affordability of homes for local residents and put pressure on local services.
According to Land Registry records, Pochin completed the purchase jointly with her husband, Jonathan, shortly after submitting the question. The property, a Grade II listed building on the island's southern coast, is one the couple has since filed renovation plans for with the local council. They continue to own another home in Cheshire.
Anglesey has increasingly become a popular destination for second-home buyers. Official statistics show it recorded the sharpest rise in holiday-home use among all UK local authorities between 2011 and 2021. As of March 2026, the local council counted 2,635 furnished properties that were not anyone's main residence.
To address affordability concerns, the council introduced a council tax premium on second homes in 2016, which has gradually increased to the current 100% surcharge. Critics argue that second homes and short-term rentals shrink housing supply, drive up prices, and strain local infrastructure.
Robin Wyn Williams, deputy leader of the council, said the trend has long-term consequences for schools and other services, erodes community identity, and pushes families out of certain areas, ultimately reducing the number of children and affecting school enrollment.
Pochin became Reform UK's first female MP after winning a byelection in May 2025. She previously served as a Conservative mayor and local councillor in Cheshire before joining Reform. The party did not respond to a request for comment.
