Reform’s only London councillor, Mark Shooter (pictured), is facing calls to resign after being accused by The Londoner magazine of being a “rogue landlord” whose company ran an unlicensed HMO property and demanded tenants to pay rent in cash.

The allegations come after Reform politicians heavily criticised Labour ministers Rushanara Ali and Angela Rayner and donor Lord Alli, over similar property scandals, with Reform’s London Assembly member Alex Wilson calling such behaviour “sheer hypocrisy”.

Guilty verdict

Shooter’s company, Kingscroft Estates, was prosecuted by Camden Council in 2016 for operating a house of multiple occupation without the required license. After a guilty verdict, the court fined it £4,000 plus £4,540 in legal costs. Despite being a part-owner and director of the company, Shooter told a Camden New Journal reporter he had “nothing to do with” running the property.

And in 2017, four tenants took Kingscroft to a property tribunal seeking rent repayment. The tribunal found that tenants were required to pay rent in cash, with money placed in envelopes under bedroom doors. The tribunal head said this arrangement served to “obscure any income audit trail” despite all the tenants reportedly having functioning bank accounts.

Tenant Yaniv Garber said the property suffered from rat infestations and broken facilities. “I think they’re the definition of a slum landlord,” he told The Londoner. The tribunal ordered Kingscroft to repay £6,363 to the four tenants.

Another tenant was future Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who said Shooter had tried to “buy them off” during eviction proceedings.

Members of Shooter’s party feign outrage over Labour’s actions while harbouring unscrupulous landlords in their own ranks.”

The revelations are particularly damaging for Reform as Shooter represents the party’s only foothold in London, a city Nigel Farage has identified as a “priority” for winning seats.

Call for resignation

Elyem Chej of London Renters Union called for Shooter’s resignation, saying: “Members of Shooter’s party feign outrage over Labour’s actions while harbouring unscrupulous landlords in their own ranks.”

Responding to The Londoner investigation, Shooter’s lawyer blamed a third-party management company and categorically denied Shooter was a “slum landlord.”

And a Reform spokesperson claimed the “decade-old accusations” were “politically driven” and “fully resolved”.