The UK government has been accused by Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner of having given in to ‘vested interests’ with its pledge to ban no-fault evictions in England. Ms Rayner has apparently asked the deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden, on when the ban would be implemented but also suffered jibes about her own living arrangements during the House of Commons discussion. Mr Dowden says he is ‘confident’ that the government will provide the ban, though the housing secretary has been unable to ensure a ban by the time of the next general election. Recently, Michael Gove has stated that he ‘hopes’ the act becomes law but it is up to the House of Lords ‘to decide the rate of progress’. The Renters (Reform) Bill, implementing changes to evictions, will be scrutinised by the House of Lords right after MPs have given it approval and it will shortly be debated in the Commons stages.
The Conservatives promised in 2019 to end landlords’ ability to evict tenants without necessarily needing to give a reason. Under the bill, landlords can only evict tenants in England under specific circumstances, such as when they wish to sell the property or when they or any close family member wants to move in. However, some Conservative MPs have raised concerns that the protections in the legislation could be too burdensome for landlords, and so the government made some changes, such as making tenants commit to a minimum six-month rental period. Additionally, a ban on no-fault evictions for existing tenancies will be delayed until the justice secretary has undertaken an assessment regarding the readiness of the court system to deal with repossession claims.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, both Angela Rayner and Mr Dowden exchanged comments and counters about the ban and Ms Rayner’s living arrangements. Greater Manchester police are currently investigating Ms Rayner following a request by Conservative deputy chair, James Daly. She has denied wrongdoing concerning the tax owed on a house she sold in 2015 and registered at the correct address. In her first question period, Ms Rayner accused the Opposition of being ‘desperate to talk about my living arrangements’ and added that the public was waiting to hear about the government’s predicament
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