The mini-Budget was always billed as a tax-cutting, growth-generating affair – and so it proved – but Labour has criticised it for failing to include a national rent freeze.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, citing research by campaigning charity Shelter, took to Twitter to say: “This is exactly why we need a rent freeze. Important new research from Shelter shows that half a million people are either behind on their rent or struggling to pay it. Today’s budget was an opportunity for the Govt to help out London’s renters: they chose not to.”
Meanwhile at the Labour Party annual conference – which opened in Liverpool over the weekend – a motion from Corbynist group Momentum also calls for a rent cap.
It concerns the cost of living crisis and would commit Labour to campaign for: “immediately placing energy, water and public transport into public ownership; a minimum wage of £15 per hour; an end to zero-hour contracts; repeal of all anti-trade union legislation; investment in green energy and retrofitting homes; creating millions of well-paid, unionised green jobs within publicly-owned entities; and control of domestic rent to 30% of local income.”
A pressure group within the Labour Party – Labour Tenants United – retweeted a Twitter comment after the Budget, using the hashtag #ClassWar, “A stamp duty cut for buy-to-let landlords, but no rent freeze for tenants – and housing benefit has been cut in real terms”.
Elsewhere in its Twitter feed the Labour Tenants United has retweeted a demand that Labour Mayor for Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, should demand rent controls.
Shortly after the Budget on Friday Generation Rent – les by former Labour peer Bsroness Alicia Kennedy – tweeted: “A rent freeze is needed and it’s needed now to give renters the security they deserve this coming winter. With the cost of living continuing to become more expensive the government has to act to make sure renters don’t suffer.
“We have been calling for a rent freeze, the end of Section 21 and a ban on rent arrears evictions for months now. The government need to step up and implement these measures this winter to protect renters.”
