“Shameful” for ministers to break pledge to ban no-fault evictions, Nandy says

Lisa Nandy has said it would be “shameful” for the government to break its manifesto pledge to ban no-fault evictions after it was reported that ministers are discussing shelving the plans.

A government source told The Times that the legislation – drafted by the previous Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove – was not a priority for the new administration.

Commenting on the reports, the Shadow Levelling Up Secretary said today: “Millions of people are only a few weeks from losing their home through no fault of their own. The Tories promised to stop this in their election manifesto and the Queen’s Speech. It would be shameful to break this promise.

“Labour has been calling for months for emergency legislation to ban no-fault evictions and give renters greater security in their homes.”

Ministers have reportedly drawn up plans to offer some developers an exemption from building affordable homes. New Levelling Up Secretary Simon Clarke is proposing to increase the threshold at which affordable homes must be built, from developments with ten houses to those with potentially 40 or 50 houses.

Responding to the plans, Nandy said: “The Tories crashed the economy. It led to soaring mortgage rates, rents, energy bills and food prices. Their answer now is less affordable housing. It beggars belief.

“Labour has set out plans to support people onto the housing ladder, including giving first-time buyers first dibs on new developments, as well as building a new generation of affordable and council houses and giving tenants greater security with a new renters’ charter.”

The Labour frontbencher declared in her speech to conference last month that she would make it her priority to tackle the housing crisis because “nothing is more important than a home”.

She said: “For private renters, we will tilt the balance of power back to you through a powerful new renters’ charter and a new decent homes standard – written into law.

“Because security in your home, the right to make your home your own and most of all the right to live in a home fit for human habitation, is non-negotiable. Because housing isn’t a market. It’s a fundamental human right.”

Labour plans to introduce a white paper intended to make renting fairer, more secure and more affordable within the first 100 days of the party being elected into government.

The white paper will set out how longer-term tenancies will become the norm, and Labour will consult on its proposals with landlord and tenant groups on how best to stabilise rent increases within tenancies.

The plan will seek to give tenants more choice and control over their homes, including ending automatic evictions for rent arrears, scrapping no-fault evictions and introducing a national register of landlords.

Nandy also announced at conference that Labour in government will “restore social housing to the second largest from of tenure” and that “council housing, council housing, council housing” will be the party’s “mantra”.

“We’re going to rebuild our social housing stock and bring homes back into the ownership of local councils and communities. With home ownership opened up to millions more,” the Labour frontbencher told delegates.

Labour said its proposals to “significantly boost” the building of council homes and reform purchasing rules will “rebalance power between developers and communities and bring in a new generation of council house building”.

The opposition’s housing plan will look to “rebalance the market towards first-time buyers and working families” by working with lenders to introduce a system where meeting rent payments will be included in mortgage affordability tests.