Housing Secretary Angela Rayner rules out rent controls after being challenged on BBC Breakfast over Burnham’s previous calls for a rent freeze
Interviewed on BBC Breakfast she confirmed that the new government under Prime Minister Andy Burnham will not be looking at rent freezes or rent controls as part of its cost-of-living measures.
Pressed on the point, noting that three years ago Andy Burnham signed an open letter calling for a freeze on private sector rents “until the cost of living crisis is over”.
Rayner replied that rent freezes or rent controls are not the way forward at the moment, adding that things have improved for renters since then.
Doing the media round this morning she was asked whether Burnham’s messaging was too focused on the north of England?
Rayner said that people understood No 10 North was about driving growth in every postcode across the UK.
Pressed on the issue of building councils homes the Housing Secretary told the Today programme that the 1.5m homes target remains but says it’s a “really difficult, stretching” target
“I’m going to keep the target but it’s like me saying I’ll run the London Marathon in under 5 hours. That would be a real challenge for me but I’d do it.”
She also revealed that she wants a tourism tax:
“We need to look at that model and allow areas to look at business rates. When going through the last govt it was very difficult. It felt like pulling teeth to get that.We have looked at the tourism levy.
