Rachel Reeves is considering the introduction of a one-year rent freeze on private homes as the Iran war continues to hit voters’ pockets.
The Chancellor is weighing up plans to ban landlords in England from raising rents for the period in what would be a major policy shift ahead of the local elections.
The proposals would form part of a significant cost-of-living package set to be launched in the next few weeks to combat the effects of the war in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Ms Reeves resisted introducing rent control in Labour’s Renters’ Rights Act, which will come into force on Friday, and previously said she was not in favour of a ‘blanket approach’ to rent control.
But ministers are worried about the impact of the war and the Treasury is said to be considering exceptional measures to limit the impact on household budgets and mortgages, according to the Guardian.
Discussions are thought to be at an early stage with Ms Reeves pondering a number of interventions in the rental markets to reduce housing costs.
Labour are expecting heavy losses in May’s local elections and the Government is looking for quick plans to ease the cost-of-living.
Rent controls have been criticised for worsening the housing shortage by forcing landlords out of the private rented market.
Rachel Reeves is reportedly considering the introduction of a one-year rent freeze on private homes as the Iran war continues to hit voters’ pockets
Some claim it discourages developers from building more properties and worsens the shortage in the long run.
Robert Colvile, head of the Centre for Policy Studies, described Ms Reeves’ plans as ‘a mind-boggling scale of intervention in the private market’.
He said: ‘If the Government wants to bring rents down it should build an awful lot more houses.’
But George Bangham, head of social policy at the New Economics Foundation thinktank, said: ‘We have an affordability crisis in the private rented sector, which dates back to before the pandemic. Other countries in western Europe already do this, and England used to from 1915 until 1989.
‘We know rent controls can fix an affordability crisis if done carefully, we just need to be willing to impose them.’
A rental freeze, which would last a year, is said to be the Chancellor’s favoured option to keep rent prices down.
New build properties are thought to be excluded from the freeze so as to not limit work on new homes.
Labour has promised to build 1.5million homes by 2029 although they appear to be lagging behind that target by a third.
The Chancellor is considering a package of support to help household energy bills which could be introduced this summer.
The proposals would form part of a major cost-of-living package set to be launched in the next few weeks to combat the effects of the war in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz (pictured)
She is also under pressure to cancel a planned rise in fuel duty as petrol costs surge.
Ms Reeves last month claimed that any bailout for Brits being battered by the Middle East crisis will be targeted rather than universal.
In a Commons statement, Ms Reeves said the 2022 support under the Tories was a ‘mistake’ because much of the £40billion went to the ‘wealthy’.
She said she would focus funds on ‘those that need it most’.
Ms Reeves also outlined plans to prevent price ‘gouging’ during what she admitted would be a ‘significant’ cost-of-living storm.
The latest proposal comes as the High Street suffered its worst month for more than 40 years as the Iran war hits households already reeling from higher taxes under Labour.
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said retail sales volumes have fallen by the most on record.
Some 77 per cent of firms surveyed reported that sales volumes were lower this month than in April last year while just 9 per cent saw a rise.
The balance of minus 68 was the lowest since 1983. The sales slump came even as retailers slashed prices – sparking warnings that shoppers are yet to feel the ‘full force’ of the war.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sent petrol and diesel prices soaring and threatens to push up energy and food bills. Employers are also grappling with hikes in the minimum wage and business rates bills on top of last year’s national insurance tax raid.
Tory business spokesman Andrew Griffith said: ‘These figures show the true scale of the April Armageddon caused by the combination of the Chancellor’s policies and global uncertainty. Yet rather than act, the Government keeps piling on more tax and red tape.’
But a separate British Retail Consortium report found shop prices rose less than feared – up 1 per cent on last April, but down from a 1.2 per cent rise in March, with food price inflation dipping from 3.4 per cent to 3.1 per cent.
Labour hopes a the rent freeze could ease pressure on Keir Starmer with the party expected to suffer significant losses next month.
Labour hopes the latest proposals could ease pressure on Keir Starmer with the party expected to suffer significant losses at the polls next month
Sir Keir is mounting a rearguard action tonight ahead of a crunch House of Commons vote over the Peter Mandelson scandal.
The embattled Prime Minister has been rocked after Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, granted a debate on whether he should face a parliamentary probe.
The showdown – to be held tomorrow – means Labour MPs will be forced to decide if they will line up behind their floundering leader.
A formal inquiry by the Commons’ privileges committee will be launched if Tuesday’s motion is passed.
Labour whips are said to be ringing round backbench MPs to plead with them to block an investigation into whether the PM misled Parliament over the appointment of Lord Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the US.
An increasingly desperate Sir Keir – who addressed the Parliamentary Labour Party in person on Monday evening – also drafted in ex-PM Gordon Brown to implore MPs to back him.
The former premier called on Labour’s ranks to ‘put the needs of the country first’ amid the Middle East crisis and Ukraine war, despite the ‘parliamentary games at Westminster’.
Sir Keir himself lashed out at tomorrow’s debate as a ‘stunt’ and signalled he would whip Labour MPs to back him. He also revealed his wife Victoria is urging him to fight on and remain in Downing Street, despite growing calls for him to quit.
A HM Treasury spokesperson said: ‘We do not comment on speculation.’
