Keir Starmer accuses PM of ‘squatting in No 10’ after Rishi Sunak’s general election hint

Published

2 years ago

January 4, 2024

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Rishi Sunak has given the clearest hint yet about when he will call a general election, saying his “working assumption” is that it will happen in the second half of this year.

Speculation has been rife for months about when the prime minister will choose to go to the polls.

Politics latest: One date thought to be frontrunner for election this year

Technically, he can wait until December before calling an election, meaning voters would then cast their ballots in January 2025.

But Mr Sunak has narrowed down the timeframe for an election the polls suggest the Tories will lose, which would bring to an end 14 years in power under five prime ministers.

Speaking to broadcasters on a visit to a youth centre in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, he said: “So, my working assumption is we’ll have a general election in the second half of this year and in the meantime I’ve got lots that I want to get on with.”

The Conservative leader declined to rule out a May election categorically – but repeated his intentions to call one later in the year.

“I want to keep going, managing the economy well and cutting people’s taxes,” Mr Sunak said.

“But I also want to keep tackling illegal migration. So I’ve got lots to get on with and I’m determined to keep delivering for the British people.”

Both the Conservatives’ and Labour’s long election campaigns were well under way on Thursday, as both party leaders visited battleground areas.

Labour has claimed a spring vote is the “worst kept secret in parliament”, with party leader Sir Keir Starmer earlier saying in his own speech to voters in Bristol that he is “ready” for a general election whenever it is called.

Responding to Mr Sunak’s remarks which hinted at an autumn vote, Sir Keir accused the prime minister of “delaying” the inevitable.

He told Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby: “People are crying out for change. And I say to the prime minister, what’s he hiding? If he’s not going to set a date, what’s he hiding from the public?

“This has serious implications for the country because he’s basically saying he’s going to be squatting for months and months in Downing Street, dithering and delaying.

“So if he’s not being clear, and I don’t think he’s setting a date, what’s he hiding?”

Asked whether he would prefer a vote in the first half of the year, Sir Keir said: “I would like to see an election as soon as possible.

“I think the vast majority of the public want to see an election as soon as possible, and the reason is that the choice now is to turn our back on 14 years of decline and usher in a decade of national renewal with hope and change.”

He added: “People can’t afford for the prime minister to be squatting for months on end this year.”

The Liberal Democrats have also been calling for Mr Sunak to hold the vote in May rather than trying to “cling on” to power for the rest of the year.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey accused Mr Sunak of “running scared” of a May election.

He said: “Squatter Sunak is holed up in Downing Street, desperately clinging on to power rather than facing the verdict of the British people.

“We need an election in spring, so that voters can finally get rid of this appalling and out-of-touch Conservative government.”

Analysis: PM will be hoping ‘squatting’ charge over election timing won’t stick

Amanda Akass

Political correspondent

@amandaakass

The prime minister has thoroughly stolen the thunder and headlines from Sir Keir Starmer’s new year speech with the revelation that his “working assumption” is that a general election will be held in the second half of the year.

Speculation in Westminster had been growing that the Tories were preparing to go to the polls in May – particularly after confirming over Christmas the spring budget would be delivered in March.

Many believed the strategy was for the chancellor to offer a generous series of tax cuts as a sweetening springboard into an early trip to the ballot box.

Pundits pointed out that this would avoid the embarrassing fallout from another drubbing at the local elections and a summer of small boat arrivals – and activists, it’s thought, would be more enthusiastic about pounding the pavements and knocking on doors in milder weather, particularly if they were doing so anyway on behalf of local council candidates.

But with Labour riding so consistently high in the polls and only one of his five pledges met (halving inflation), Rishi Sunak is clearly unconvinced by these arguments.

With the path to a Tory victory at any time of year so incredibly narrow, others believe the PM just wants to maximise his time in office. Indeed, speaking to reporters today he argues he’s still got plenty more to do in terms of “managing the economy well and cutting people’s taxes” as well as “tackling illegal migration”.

Delivering on illegal migration means successfully forcing his emergency Rwanda legislation through both houses of parliament, and past future legal challenges.

It’s the key challenge for Mr Sunak and his team at present; many advisors believe finally getting deportation flights off the ground, combined with a dramatic economic recovery, is perhaps his only real hope of clinging on to power at the next election.

Needless to say the opposition parties aren’t happy.

The Liberal Democrats yesterday called for a return to the Fixed Term Parliaments Act, to take away the PM’s power to call elections as the most opportune political moment. They’ve accused Mr Sunak of “bottling” the opportunity to call an election – with echoes of Gordon Brown’s perceived dithering in the autumn of 2007.

Both Sir Ed Davey and Sir Keir say Mr Sunak is “squatting” in Downing Street – with Sir Keir arguing that both he and the country want to see an election as soon as possible.

The PM will be hoping he’s set out his timetable early enough to avoid that charge sticking; but don’t expect the calls for an immediate national vote to calm down any time soon.

Reform UK has ruled out entering into any electoral pacts with the Tories.

Mr Sunak warned against voting for Reform UK amid fears the right-wing party could steal votes from the Conservatives.

He said: “A vote for anybody who’s not a Conservative candidate, a Conservative MP, is a vote for Keir Starmer in power.

“There’s only going to be two options for prime minister after the next election, it’s either going to be me or Keir Starmer. A vote for anyone who is not a Conservative is a vote for Keir Starmer in power.”

He added: “What’s the issue that has motivated a lot of these conversations? It’s illegal migration. So, what’s my track record? Well, I’m the first person to actually cut the numbers, and cut them not just by a little, but cut them by over a third in my first year in power.

“We’re going to pass our Rwanda Bill through parliament, get that scheme up and running, and that will provide the further deterrent we need to grip this once and for all.”

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What is Labour’s Renters’ Rights Act – and will it end no-fault evictions?

Published

11 hours ago

October 27, 2025

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What is Labour's Renters' Rights Act - and will it end no-fault evictions?

Reforms to renters’ rights have finally become law – five years and four prime ministers after they were first promised.

The legislation that received Royal Assent today is Labour’s version, after the party took office with a promise to improve and complete the set of proposals the Tories pledged then watered down, then abandoned altogether before the general election last year.

Previously it was known as the Renters’ Reform Bill, but Labour renamed it as the Renters’ Rights Bill.

Following Royal Assent, it is now known as the Renters’ Rights Act.

It aims to “decisively level the playing field between landlords and tenants”, according to housing minister Matthew Pennycook.

However there is one more crucial date – the commencement date – which is when the measures will actually take effect.

We don’t know when that is, but these will be the first changes:

No-fault evictions banned

Crucially, the legislation includes a blanket ban on no-fault evictions under Section 21 (S21) of the 1988 Housing Act.

S21 notices have allowed landlords to evict tenants with two months’ notice without providing a reason.

Housing campaigners say they are a major contributing factor to rising homelessness.

Former Conservative prime minister Theresa May made the pledge to scrap S21 notices on 15 April 2019, and it was also in her successor Boris Johnson’s manifesto.

But the Tories went on to announce an indefinite delay to the plan to ban them, pending court reforms, following pressure from backbench landlord MPs.

After the general election, Labour confirmed in its first King’s Speech that it would end no fault evictions for both new and existing tenancies.

Mr Pennycook has said that this means landlords will not be able to “arbitrarily evict any tenant with a Section 21 notice, including tenants that make complaints about things like damp and mould, rather than fix those problems”.

Landlords will still be able to evict tenants if they have a legal reason, such as if the tenant is in several months’ rent arrears or commits anti-social behaviour.

Fixed-term tenancies ended

The Act has removed fixed-term tenancies, so that all agreements are “periodic”.

This will give tenants the flexibility to move if there is a change of circumstance or they aren’t happy with the standard of accommodation. Instead of having to stay until a specified end date, tenants will be required to give two months notice if they wish to move out.

Landlord notice periods

When a landlord’s circumstance changes, such as their need to sell up or move into the property, they will have to give four months’ notice instead of two.

All renters will get a 12-month protected period at the beginning of a tenancy, during which landlords cannot evict them on these grounds.

What are the longer term changes?

There are a range of further reforms that will come in after the new tenancy system is implemented. These are:

Awaab’s law extended

Awaab’s Law was named after the toddler who died after exposure to mould in his family’s social rented home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

It proposed that social landlords will have to investigate hazards within 14 days, fix them within a further seven, and make emergency repairs within 24 hours. .

Under Labour’s Renters’ Rights Act, this will be extended to the private sector to ensure all landlords speedily address hazards and make homes safe.

Plans to make homes safer also include applying a Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time.

The government said 21% of privately rented homes are currently classified as “non-decent” and more than 500,000 contain the most serious hazards.

Landlords who fail to address serious hazards will be fined up to £7,000 by local councils and may face prosecution for non-compliance, the government said.

A new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman will also be introduced to “provide quick and binding resolutions” about complaints, alongside a database to help landlords understand their legal obligations and demonstrate compliance.

Ban on mid-tenancy rent increases

The Act has also banned rent increases being written into contracts to prevent mid-tenancy hikes, leaving landlords only able to raise rent once a year at the market rate.

Rent campaigners want the government to go further and introduce rent controls amid a spiralling affordability crisis.

Analysis of government figures by housing charity Shelter found England’s private renters paid an extra £473 million pounds every month on rent in 2024 – an average of £103 more per month than they were paying in 2023.

Labour has ruled out rent controls, saying their plan to build more homes will bring prices down.

Powers to challenge rent hikes

However the government said they will make it easier for people to challenge excessive rent hikes which could force them out.

This will be done by reforming the First Tier Tribunal so it can’t actually demand more than what the landlord initially asked for when tenants complain.

The government will also end backdated increases if the watchdog rules in the landlords’ favour, and allow rent increases to be deferred by two months in cases of hardship.

Allowing pets

Labour’s reforms have also given tenants the strengthened right to request a pet, which landlords must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse.

There are currently no specific laws in place when it comes to renting with pets, but landlords can decline if they have a valid reason.

To support landlords, the Renters’ Rights Act has provided them with the right to request insurance to cover potential damage from pets if needed.

Bidding wars crackdown

The reforms also crack down on bidding wars between potential tenants.

Bidding wars for rental properties have become increasingly common amid a chronic shortage of supply, with tenants typically paying an extra £100 a month above the asking price for their home last year, according to research by the New Economics Foundation.

The legislation includes a legal requirement for landlords and letting agents to publish the required rent for a property.

Landlords and agents will be banned from “asking for, encouraging, or accepting any bids” above the publicly stated price.

Similar laws have been passed in other countries facing a housing crisis, such as New Zealand.

Limit on rent in advance

Bidding wars have also led to some people offering months of rent in advance to ensure they get the property. Under the new laws, landlords can only ask for up to one month’s rent upfront once you’ve signed a tenancy agreement. They will be banned from encouraging or accepting any more.

Ban on benefit discrimination

The Act also outlaws landlords imposing a blanket ban on tenants receiving benefits or with children.

According to Shelter, one in five families have been unable to rent somewhere in England because they have kids.

Meanwhile, the English Private Landlord Survey, covering the period of 2021 to 2022, found one in 10 private renters – around 109,000 households – had been refused a tenancy because they received benefits.

While specific cases of this have been found to have breached the Equality Act in court, the new law will explicitly ban these forms of discrimination “to ensure fair access to housing for all”.