Starmer makes ban on Section 21 evictions key election pledge
Labour Leader said during live debate his party would make a ban on S21 'no fault' evictions a priority if it wins the Election.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has pointed to a ban on Section 21 ’no fault’ evictions as one of his party’s key election pledges.
He told a BBC General Election debate with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that it would prevent many people becoming homeless.
In answering a question about local council budgets, he said it was “what the Conservatives promised but didn’t actually do, which is to stop no fault evictions”.
The Renters (Reform) Bill that would have made S21 evictions unlawful was lost in the ‘wash-up’ as Parliament was dissolved once the election was called.
Massive help
Starmer said getting rid of Section 21 evictions would be “a massive help for councils as well because when people lose their home through no fault of their own, quite a lot of them end up having to have support of a local authority”.
“I don’t think you should have no fault evictions. I think we should actually get on and get rid of them. That’s what the Prime Minister used to say, but he doesn’t do it,” he said.
He also repeated Labour’s pledge to build 1.5 million new homes within five years.
Help to Buy
Sunak said the Conservatives would revive Help to Buy and abolish Stamp Duty for most first-time buyers.
The threshold for FTBs to pay Stamp Duty on a property purchase was raised from £300,000 to £425,000, but it is due to go back down again next April.
The Conservatives have pledged to make the change permanent, and they claim that if Labour doesn’t match this promise then tax bills for FTBs will go up.
Picture: BBC
Dear Mr Starmer, your comments may not hold true when all the responsible landlords decide to sell their properties due to the excessive legislation and vilification by the government. These landlords are providing a valuable service by helping to house people. In my 20+ years as an Estate Agent, I can count the number of Section 21 evictions we’ve issued on two hands. This is because most landlords are decent individuals who value good tenants. There are usually valid reasons for them wanting to regain possession of their properties.
Your approach to this issue is misguided, which, unfortunately, is not surprising. It seems out of touch with the realities of the situation. These promises appear to be aimed at winning votes rather than addressing the real issues at hand. Good luck with building new homes for the homeless when the remaining landlords decide to sell their properties.
In your own words, perhaps we should ‘get on and get rid’ of everyone in Parliament and start anew.