Mike Amesbury has urged the Prime Minister to take urgent action over unsafe cladding following a vote in Parliament.

Labour forced a vote in the Commons as part of an Opposition Day Debate on Monday, calling on the Government to protect leaseholders across the country who are living with unsafe cladding.

The motion was passed by a vote of 263-0, with all Conservative MPs abstaining. The vote is non-binding, but the Prime Minister has the power to implement the recommendations if he wishes.

The motion called on the government to establish the extent of dangerous cladding and prioritise buildings according to risk, provide upfront funding for cladding remediation and protect both leaseholders and taxpayers from the costs.

During the four-hour debate, which came just four years after the Grenfell tower disaster, MPs from all sides told the House of the experiences faced by their constituents, including some who had faced bankruptcy due to the costs involved.

Many residents are having to pay thousands on top of the costs of removing the flammable cladding for private companies to patrol their buildings, check for signs of fire and sounding the alarm if a fire is detected. So called 'waking watches'.

As Labour's Shadow Housing Minister, Mike was instrumental in bringing the debate to the House and spoke during the debate.

Speaking outside the chamber, he said: "There are millions of people up and down the country having to pay ruinous costs for things such as waking watches, just to give them enough peace of mind to even be able to close their eyes for a night's sleep.

"Many are unable to sell or remortgage their homes or get insurance, all while living under the shadow of living in a dangerous property.

"There have been too many delays, the Prime Minister himself has admitted as much. The Government is duty-bound to help these people and it must do so now."

Last year The Fire Brigades Union criticised the government for doing "the bare minimum to fend off bad headlines" after it was revealed just a third of high-rise buildings with Grenfell-style cladding had had the material removed.

Boris Johnson admitted at the time that the failure was 'disgraceful'.

Mike added: "This debate put down an important marker, it was vital that these people's stories were told, Boris Johnson must now do the right thing and introduce real protections for those living with unsafe cladding."