Tories call Labour’s rent cap proposals a ‘gimmick’

11:52 AM

Housing minister Brandon Lewis, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles and London Mayor Boris Johnson are among some of the Tories opposing Labour’s cap on rents.

Ed showing how he doesn't understand how rental market works on #marr & going against his own Hiusing Minister's views

— Brandon Lewis (@BrandonLewis) April 26, 2015

Rent controls resulted in the size of the private rent sector dropping from 55% of households in 1939 to 8% in 1980s http://t.co/RYjvDO2MhD

— Eric Pickles (@EricPickles) April 25, 2015

Mr Johnson told the BBC One Andrew Marr Show rental control would hit supply and ultimately increase prices.

He said: “I have some brilliant housing officials in City Hall. Let me tell you, they are not by any means all paid-up Conservative supporters, to put it mildly, and they all to a man and a woman think a policy of trying to impose rent controls is pure nonsense, a gimmick, wouldn’t work.”

.@BorisJohnson: Labour’s cap on rents will just lead to huge hikes in rent at the end of the tenancy. It’s a disastrous policy. #marr

— Brandon Lewis (@BrandonLewis) April 26, 2015

Mr Johnson said he “sympathised deeply” with Londoners struggling to afford rising rents but said tackling problematic landlords was the key policy.