The UK Labour government’s credibility suffered another blow Thursday as Homelessness Minister Rushanara Ali resigned following revelations she evicted tenants from a property she owns, only to re-list it at a higher rent. The controversy has sparked accusations of hypocrisy as Labour pushes forward legislation designed to ban the very tactic Ali employed.
Ali, MP for Bethnal Green and Stepney, cited potential distraction from the government’s agenda in her resignation letter. The Daily Telegraph reported that she removed four tenants from a London property with short notice last year. Once vacated, the property was placed back on the market at a significantly higher rental rate.
The practice of eviction for rent hikes is legal under current UK law but is targeted for prohibition under Labour’s Renters Reform Bill. Government materials have identified such evictions as a contributing factor to homelessness—precisely the issue Ali was appointed to address.
Ali defended her conduct, stating she “followed all relevant legal requirements” and took her responsibilities seriously. Still, the optics of the incident have proven damaging for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who campaigned against what he labeled Conservative self-enrichment and ethical failures.
Ali is best known for backing efforts to lower the UK voting age to 16, a policy popular with Labour’s younger base. Her resignation now joins a growing list of controversies plaguing the Starmer government just over a year into power.
Earlier this year, former anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq resigned over an ongoing graft investigation in Bangladesh, where she is scheduled to stand trial next week. Siddiq, whose family ties include a former Bangladeshi president and prime minister, is accused of benefiting from illegally obtained land linked to embezzled funds totaling nearly £4 billion. Her legal team has dismissed the case as politically motivated.
Other Labour resignations include Transport Minister Louise Haigh, who stepped down after a criminal conviction surfaced, and Health Minister Andrew Gwynne, who resigned following a vulgar outburst toward a constituent.
