A Green party council candidate is facing allegations of hypocrisy after serving a no-fault eviction notice on his Labour opponent, who is also his tenant. William Pedley, standing for the Greens in North Northamptonshire, issued a section 21 notice in March 2024 to Kelly Duddridge, who has lived in the property for a decade. Duddridge is his rival for the Victoria ward seat, though neither was a candidate when the notice was initiated.
Labour has condemned Pedley’s actions, noting his party’s support for banning no-fault evictions. A Labour spokesperson said: “This is yet more rank hypocrisy from the Green party. Threatening to evict a tenant via no-fault eviction while standing on a platform to abolish section 21 simply beggars belief.” Pedley claims he needs the property due to a change in family circumstances.
Duddridge remains in the house but says the threat has caused significant stress. She told the Guardian: “I am trying not to think about having to move away from the house. I love the neighbours and my four children are settled.” She added that she plans to stay until bailiffs attend, as advised to improve her chances of council housing.
The Green party defended Pedley, stating the notice was served almost a year ago due to his personal circumstances. However, the party has backed an end to no-fault evictions, arguing tenants should not have “their lives turned upside down on the whim of their landlords.” Co-leader Carla Denyer previously welcomed a ban on section 21 evictions as protecting millions of renters.
This is not the first time Pedley has sought to evict Duddridge; he rescinded a similar notice in 2016. The current notice gave her two months to leave, and a legal letter in August warned her to vacate by October. Duddridge described running in the election as “my sanctuary from the stress of the potential move.”
