Keep it quiet, but even right-wing hacks support Miliband’s rent reforms

Many right-wingers have taken an expectedly unfavourable view of Ed Miliband’s new plans to keep rents low, with some taking their disapproval to absurd extremes. Tory Chairman Grant Shapps’ view that the policy is akin to “Venezuelan-style rent controls” was silly enough, but the hysterical linkbait headline to beat has surely been the Adam Smith Institute’s “Only bombing cities would be worse”. Er, sure.

Well this has mostly been lapped up in the media, there have been a few notable exceptions willing to voice tentative support – and not just from likely sources. As well as Eric Pickles, here are some other examples of less-than-lefty backing.

The Economist were first off the mark, with a blog up before breakfast that said:

“Ed Miliband’s speech today is interesting.”

“The rental market is extremely amateurish and a lot of its faults are simply the result of people doing what they’ve always done. It might take legislation to bump them into changing their ways.”

“The response from Grant Shapps, the Conservative Party chairman, is so hilariously over the top it reads like a parody.”

London’s commuters might have picked up a copy of the Evening Standard last night, not a newspaper famed for its commitment to state interventions. So they might have been surprised to see its leader column take a sympathetic line.

“Miliband’s proposals simply correct errors made by others out of either ignorance or malice, and introduces better standards to the renting market.”

“The policy will be national but its significance is especially great in London — hence Labour leader Ed Miliband’s launch of the plan today in Redbridge.”

Over at Telegraph Blogs, Tim Stanley wrote a piece titled ‘Ed Miliband is right: the rent is too damn high’, which should give you an idea of whether he damned it as full communism or not.

“Yep, life in Cameron’s Britain is both ugly and expensive. So good for Labour for proposing modest reforms to protect tenants against rogue landlords and help keep rents down.”

“Miliband’s proposals simply correct errors made by others out of either ignorance or malice, and introduces better standards to the renting market.”

Finally, the political editor of International Business Times (editorial line: not exactly the Morning Star) wrote a piece which praised the Labour leader’s ability to wrongfoot the Tories:

“Ed Miliband has shown he still has the knack of hitting issues that will chime with key groups of voters.”

“Miliband’s move to extend tenancy agreements as well as banning up front agency fees and to cap rent rises will all help people in that part of the market.”

Glancing at the front pages of the Conservative-supporting press, you might be forgiven for thinking this new pledge had been widely dismissed. But look past the political agendas of the the headlines, and you’ll see there’s more consensus than they’re willing to let on: and it seems Miliband has struck a chord.