Michael Situ, the Labour councillor responsible for housing at Southwark Council, has resigned after failing to obtain licences for two rental properties he owns in Peckham. He also admitted that accounts with his letting agent had fallen into council tax arrears.
In a resignation letter to council leader Sarah King, Situ blamed his letting agent for the oversight but said he took “full responsibility for allowing this situation to arise.” He added that he wanted to “lead with integrity” and not distract from the council’s housing work.
The case echoes that of Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who faced criticism last month for failing to obtain a selective rental licence for her family home in Dulwich, also in Southwark. Reeves blamed her estate agent for the error, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer accepted her apology.
Situ was appointed cabinet member for housing just three months ago, vowing to prioritise the council’s “Good Landlord Plan.” The matter has been referred to Southwark’s monitoring officer for investigation.
Liberal Democrat group leader Victor Chamberlain criticised Labour, saying: “This is the second Labour councillor to have to resign from the cabinet in less than six months over Labour’s housing crisis.” He accused Labour of having “one rule for them and another for the rest of us.”
