The new director of Generation Rent, Ben Twomey, takes over from Baroness Alicia Kennedy this morning.

A statement announcing his appointment earlier this year said that Twomey “will lead the organisation’s efforts to secure better rights and protections for 13 million people who live in private rented homes in the UK.”

Twomey – who has in the past tweeted about close family members being evicted via Section 21 powers in 2021 – said at the time of his appointment: “I’m thrilled to be joining Generation Rent at this critical time for renters in the UK. The Renters Reform Bill is a huge opportunity to transform renting and there’s a lot of work to be done to make sure it delivers real improvements in the lives of those of us whose only option is to rent.

“As the cost of living crisis deepens, I will be making the case that everyone deserves to live in a safe, secure and affordable home. I look forward to working with the team at Generation Rent to build on their achievements and keep making renters’ voices heard in the corridors of power.”

Like Baroness Kennedy, Twomey also has a Labour Party pedigree. 

He was the Labour and Co-Operative candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner in Warwickshire in recent elections to the post and is also a long-standing member of the Labour Homelessness Campaign.

He recently gave his backing to a Labour councillor seeking to become the prospective parliamentary candidate for a constituency in Northampton and last summer he wrote a lengthy paper for the Labour List website outlining possible ways the party could win in the next General Election.

Twomey moves into Generation Rent from his most recent job as director of policy and communications at the National Youth Advocacy Service, where he also co-chaired the Alliance for Children in Care and Care Leavers. 

He has a Masters of Law with distinction from the University of Warwick, and a first class History and Politics degree from the University of York.