14th
Oct 2022
Labour seems to be odds with itself across the UK’s devolved ‘parliaments’ when fully supporting Scotland’s intended rent freeze, considering to become more active in pushing for it to be introduced across England, but has voted down the Welsh rent freeze in parliament.
Plaid Cymru’s nationalist party politicians called for a similar rent freeze to Scotland’s, to be introduced across Wales and took for granted that this would be passed in parliament with its Green’s government partnership.
However they failed to predict the ‘spanner in the works’ when senior Labour ministers voted down the rent freeze and warned of "unintended consequences" if a rent freeze came into force with landlords selling up and leaving the sector or deciding on switching to short-lets.
Julie James the housing minister stated she wanted to: "target the support at the people who are most vulnerable and make sure they stay in their home. We don't want to drive landlords away from the sector.”
She is demanding that the UK government to immediately unfreeze the housing allowance as it no longer ‘reflects’ current rental prices.
Another Welsh Parliament Labour member did say that a rent freeze was "superficially attractive" but will no doubt cause landlords to opt for "the Wild West of housing - Airbnb".
Conservative Janet Finch-Saunders also supported Labour’s stance when saying rent controls are a "nightmare" and that Plaid's debate "tries to do down the private rented sector."
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