NEWS STORY
In a dramatic and widely criticised move, Homelessness Minister Rushanara Ali resigned today after revelations that she evicted tenants from her East London property, allegedly to sell it, only to promptly relist the home for rent at a £700 (21%) higher price. This episode has drawn fierce condemnation for its apparent hypocrisy, especially given Ali’s prior stance in support of tenant protections.
Ali has claimed she fully adhered to legal requirements, signalling in her resignation letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer that remaining in her ministerial role risks distracting from the government’s housing agenda. Her departure is seen as a severe blow to Labour’s credibility, coming at a sensitive time with the Renters’ Rights Bill nearing its final stages in Parliament, a law set to ban landlords from evicting tenants only to immediately hike rents. Critics argue that her personal conduct directly undermines the policy she oversaw and has challenged the integrity of MPs, with calls for her to leave the House of Commons.
Opposition voices were quick to condemn Ali, with Kevin Hollinrake, chairman of the Conservative Party, calling the move “staggering hypocrisy”, pointing out that Ali’s actions were “one rule for Labour and another for everyone else.” Housing advocates were equally scathing, Shelter’s policy director dismissed the saga as “a damning reminder that the cards are fundamentally stacked against renters.”
The MP’s conduct is yet another setback for Prime Minister Starmer’s Government, which has already seen multiple ministerial resignations in just over a year. With public trust undermined and the government trailing in the polls, Ali’s resignation raises fresh questions about the party’s moral authority and integrity.