London Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan has returned to his demand for powers to control rents in the private sector, citing a new opinion poll to support his call.

This is despite speculation that he had been slapped down by party leader Sir Kier Starmer over exactly that issue 

At the end of last week Khan claimed that a new YouGov poll commissioned by his team at London’s City Hall showed that some 160,000 Londoners were falling behind on their rent payments, and some 24 per cent of private tenants – equivalent to some 650,000 people – were apparently struggling to meet rent payments. 

No definitions were given as to how they were struggling.

The poll also suggested that some 3,630 households were assessed as threatened with homelessness in London after receiving a Section 21 eviction notice last year.

Khan’s use of the data to push his demand for powers to impose rent controls comes just a month after a Financial Times report saying that the Labour Party nationally was rejecting such a move.

Khan first argued for rent controls in 2016; he has no authority to implement such controls but wants to be given increased powers over the private rental sector by the UK government.

Recently Khan proposed a “rent controls commission” to use a new register of landlords and rents to work out how existing rents should be gradually reduced and impose limits on rent rises between tenancies.

But the FT in late May said: “Senior party insiders told the Financial Times that Starmer’s office was not exploring introducing national rent controls or devolving related powers to mayors if elected.”

Labour in Wales has already rejected rent controls but is now flirting with the ideal once again via a consultation process. The Scottish Labour Party is in favour, and has backed the measures implemented in that country by the Scottish National Party and the Greens.