Rushanara Ali has resigned as homelessness minister after reports she evicted four tenants and raised the rent on her East London property by £700 a month. The Labour MP said she had followed all legal requirements but acknowledged her position had become a distraction.
According to the i newspaper, Ms Ali told tenants in November that their lease would not be renewed as she planned to sell the townhouse near the Olympic Park. When the property failed to sell, it was relisted for rent at nearly £4,000 a month, up from the previous £3,300. One tenant, Laura Jackson, described the increase as 'extortion'.
In a resignation letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ms Ali wrote: 'I have followed all relevant legal requirements... However, it is clear that continuing in my role will be a distraction from the ambitious work of the government.' Starmer thanked her for her 'diligent work', including efforts to repeal the Vagrancy Act.
The resignation drew sharp criticism from opposition parties and campaign groups. A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: 'Her job was to tackle homelessness, not to increase it.' Ben Twomey of Generation Rent called the allegations 'shocking', while Tom Darling of the Renters' Reform Coalition noted that such evictions for rent hikes would soon be illegal under the Renters' Rights Bill.
Shadow Housing Secretary James Cleverly accused Ms Ali of 'extreme hypocrisy', and Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake called for her to stand down. However, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Chancellor Rachel Reeves defended her, stating she had followed the rules.
