29 April 2023 , 21:30
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Labour would create a national register of landlords to protect ‘Generation Rent’ from unscrupulous property owners, Keir Starmer has told the Sunday Mirror.
The Labour leader said his party would stand behind a “talented generation” who are “left behind and forced to struggle” with skyrocketing rents imposed by rogue landlords.
The pledge came as hundreds of Sunday Mirror readers this week sent in questions for Mr Starmer and Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner - on topics as diverse as Brexit, food banks - and the cost of a weekly shop.
Rishi Sunak last year tore up housebuilding targets to avoid an embarrassing backbench rebellion. But Labour today vowed to reinstate the requirements for regions to build in line with local need and “build the homes young people aspire to own.”
Mr Starmer told the Mirror: “There is a whole generation of young people, with dreams of homeownership, that now feel unattainable and unrealistic.
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“Generation rent have been completely abandoned by this government. Left to attempt to cope through a cost of living crisis forcing them into endlessly spiralling costs, and too many unscrupulous landlords having the power to do what they want.”
He added: “There is no hiding the fact that rogue landlords do exist, and generation rent are left with little, and sometimes no measures to protect themselves. That is why I am committed to introducing a national register of landlords, allowing us to crack down on the people taking advantage of the system."
All residential landlords would have to put their names on the list (CHRIS NEILL)He added: “The Labour Party won’t stand by while a whole ambitious and talented generation are left behind and forced to struggle. My Labour government will get a grip of it so their hard work rightly allows them to get on.”
The new register would replace the current Register of Rogue Landlords, which only lists property owners who have been issued with a banning order by local councils.
The Labour leader announced the plan while answering Mirror readers' questions (CHRIS NEILL)Labour slammed the decision to scrap housebuilding targets, saying it hampers ambition and traps "generation rent" in a cycle of higer rents, but stagnant wages.
The party has also pledged to give first-time buyers first dibs on new houses in their area, and prevent foreign buyers snapping up swathes of new housing developments.
And it promised to introduce a comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme to help first-time buyers who can't afford a deposit.
Lisa Nandy MP, Shadow Housing Secretary, said: “Owning your home is not only about having a settled place to live, it’s about pride, reward for hard work, and security for your family.
“In rolling over to his own MPs, Rishi Sunak abandoned a whole generation of young people aspiring to own their own home. The dire consequences of his weakness are already being felt as the housing crisis deepens.
“Labour is proudly the party of homeownership. We’ll reverse these reckless changes and reintroduce requirements for local areas to make sure enough homes are being built where they’re needed. It isn’t right that hard working young people are being priced out of their areas, squeezed by rents, and having their ambition to buy a house taken from them.
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“Labour will also actively support first-time buyers with a comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme and by giving them first dibs on new houses in their area, to ensure far more families can enjoy the pride and security of owning their own home.”
Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, added: “The Prime Minister’s inability to take on his Party means his weak, reckless, short sighted planning changes, leave generation rent in a headlock.
“We’ll reverse them and enforce requirements on local areas to build in line with local need. My Labour Party won’t be shy about taking on speculators and nimbyism in the name of the next generation of homeowners.
“Our raft of measures – from setting locally led house building targets, to giving first time byers first dibs on developments – will support the aspiration of hard working young Brits and make their dream of home ownership a reality.”