MP welcomes policy u-turn

The government abandoned the controversial policy, dubbed the ‘tenant tax,’ this week that would have imposed crippling rent hikes on working council tenants.

John Healey, MP for Wentworth and Dearne, said: “This is a victory for Labour’s year-long campaign against the ‘tenant tax’ which was set to hike rents for thousands of households on ordinary incomes.

“Ministers must now re-think the rest of their failing housing policies. Figures have shown the number of newly-built affordable homes for social rent has fallen to the lowest level since records began, so top of the list must be to reverse the forced sale of vital council homes and the huge cuts to investment in new affordable homes.”