Downing Street have confirmed the UK homelessness minister has resigned, a decision many believed should have happened months ago.
Rushanara Ali announced her resignation on Wednesday night (August 7th) after facing serious criticism from housing charities and opposing party members.
Experts put the ex-homelessness minister under spotlight following claims that she evicted four tenants from a house she owns and then re-let it a few weeks later for £700 pounds more a month.
Previously, the tenants were told their contract was ending in November 2024 because the house was being put up for sale.
Since the scandal emerged, Ali has been widely accused of hypocrisy. During her time in Parliament she’s reassured people that the Labour government would ‘empower people to challenge unreasonable rent increases’. What’s more, the party are working to pass the renters’ rights bill, which is due to come into effect from next year.
Mairi MacRae, director of campaigns and policy at Shelter, said: ‘It beggars belief that after months of dither and delay, the government’s own homelessness minister has profited from the underhand tactics the renters’ rights bill is meant to outlaw.’
‘This story serves as a damning reminder that the cards are fundamentally stacked against renters,’ Mairi continued. ‘Unscrupulous landlords cannot be allowed to continue the practice of ‘fire-and-rehire’ evictions, where they slap renters with a section 21 only to hike up rent a few months later and relet the property at a higher price.’
In similar vein, Jess Banard, member of Labour’s national executive committee, said the situation ‘seems an appropriate time to reiterate MPs should not be landlords and landlords should not be Labour MPs.’
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