As elections approach, political parties seek to secure the support of key electoral blocs that can decide who wins and loses. In recent years, parties have focused on groups such as Essex Man, New Labour’s Mondeo Man, and Workington Man. In the 2024 election, Renter Ruth may be crucial for a Labour victory, as the party currently leads the polls. The number of renters has increased in the last decade, while the Conservative Party’s share of their support has fallen. The private rented sector accounts for 19% of households in England, larger than those renting social housing.
Renters are concerned about issues such as housing affordability, safety after the Grenfell Tower tragedy, and no-fault evictions after the Covid pandemic. The Conservative Party has committed to eventually banning no-fault evictions, while Labour aims to abolish them and empower renters to challenge unreasonable rent increases. The Liberal Democrats also pledge to ban no-fault evictions and introduce three-year tenancies as the default. The Greens support the end of no-fault evictions and seek the introduction of long-term leases. The Reform Party does not back the Renters Reform Bill.
Several constituencies with high numbers of private renters may decide the election outcome. Seats such as Kensington and Bayswater, Finchley and Golders Green, and Chipping Barnet in London, as well as Colchester, Eastbourne, Cheltenham, and Burnley outside it are Conservative-held seats where over 20% of people are private renters and are targeted by Labour or the Liberal Democrats.
The voting patterns of private renters have shifted in recent years, with younger people leaning increasingly towards Labour. In the 2010 general election, private renters were as likely to vote Conservative as Labour. By 2015, Labour had gained a 15 percentage point advantage over the Conservatives, as reforms to Housing Benefit during the previous Conservative-led coalition government had made it harder for some people reliant on benefits to rent privately. However, younger people and private renters are less likely to vote than their older and homeowner counterparts, respectively, posing a risk for Labour.
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