A University professor once told me that politics is the art of continuously being let down. I understood his point but I have always thought it to be a cynical outlook. My main point of disagreement stems from my view that negative press is always more newsworthy than positive updates.
I continue to feel this way, however there are times when having this outlook becomes increasingly difficult. Today is absolutely one of those days.
It was revealed yesterday that Homelessness Minister, Rushanara Ali, resigned from her post in a somewhat humiliating fashion. Ms Ali, who held the post since Labour’s election landslide in July 2024, is accused of evicting tenants in one of her homes and relisting the property for nearly £700 higher per month. The story was broken by the i Newspaper.
The tenants claim they were evicted by the former Minister and told the house was going to be sold, only to find the property relisted for rent within weeks.
Ms Ali disputes some of the claims of the tenants, saying they were not evicted, they were asked to leave as the property was going to be sold and the reason it was relisted was due to difficulty in finding a buyer. Ms Ali also claims the tenants were offered to stay on a rolling basis but this is disputed.
Semantics aside, this is a terrible look for a government that seems determined to shoot itself in the foot at every opportunity.
More importantly, even if all of the claims from Ms Ali are true, she would still be in violation of the Renters Rights Bill - a landmark Labour legislation which is expected to meet the statute book next year. Under the bill, landlords would be prohibited from listing properties for rent after evicting tenants for the purpose of selling the house.
It is important to note, that pursuant to current legislation, the former Minister did not break any laws. However, if this happened in August 2026, instead of 2025, it is very likely she would have. At best, Ms Ali is not a law-breaker, but a hypocrite. That is essentially what this comes down to.
Jon Craig, political correspondent at Sky News, summed this up perfectly saying:
“Rushanara Ali's swift and humiliating demise is a classic example of paying the price for the politician's crime of ‘Do as I say, not as I do’.”
This just about sums it up. Ms Ali has been extremely vocal in her role as Homelessness Minister, often criticising the former Tory government and championing Labour’s approach of tackling the root cause of rough sleeping. These words have been celebrated by charities like FPH and Shelter, as a proactive approach to the problem has been actively campaigned for.
Despite this, she has undermined a lot of good work with a mind-boggling display of hypocrisy.
Writing for The Big Issue in February, Ms Ali emphasised the importance of affordable housing to safety and security.
She said: “We all know the true value of a good home is found not in its bricks and mortar but in the security and stability it gives people. If that solid foundation is stripped away the impact on the lives of those affected can be catastrophic.
“The effects are devastating on those left homeless by the worst housing crisis in living memory. Everyone deserves a safe, decent, affordable home and yet this is out of reach for many people across our country.”
The statements and actions from Ms Ali could hardly contradict each other more blatantly. How would her actions possibly enhance the safety and stability of tenants?
One of the former tenants, Laura Jackson, said: "Trying to get that much money from renters is extortion."
Ms Ali may not have broken any laws in this instance, but she has done irreparable damage to a government who campaigned on improving housing, homelessness and sleaze. It is yet another instance of brazen entitlement and detachment from reality.
The Renter’s Rights Bill will likely come into law next year and with good reason: to prevent landlords like Ms Ali from acting in this manner.