Thinktank calls for ‘double lock’ England private rent cap to ease living costs
One of the thinktanks closest to the Labour government is urging ministers to introduce private sector rent controls in England, as the chancellor weighs up how to ease a surge in living costs caused by the Iran war,The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has published a paper calling for a rent “double lock”, which would link rent increases to either wages or inflation, depending on which was lower,While others on the left have previously called for rent controls, the IPPR’s extensive links inside government will increase pressure on ministers to include the idea in a cost of living package to be announced by Rachel Reeves later in May,The Guardian revealed last month that Reeves had been considering a one-year rent freeze to deal with a rise in inflation which economists say is now inevitable, but the idea was quickly dismissed by Downing Street,Maya Singer Hobbs, the author of the paper, said: “There are millions of people living with unaffordable housing costs, and if you want to bring those down quickly there are not many options.
“You could spend a lot more money on housing benefit, but that is expensive.You could invest in new supply, but that takes a long time to feed through into costs.That’s why we are calling for a rent cap, albeit carefully tailored.”With the war in Iran entering its 11th week and the strait of Hormuz still closed, Reeves has been looking at how to deal with the expected jump in inflation, which is predicted to be the joint highest in the G7 this year.The chancellor will make a speech later this month setting out her plans, which are likely to include support for energy bills, but government sources say she has been looking at a number of other ways to reduce prices for consumers.
One option under consideration until recently was a one-year freeze on private sector rents, something the government had previously dismissed as part of its renters’ rights package, for fear that it would reduce the rate of housebuilding.A day after the Guardian revealed details of the plan, Downing Street ruled it out.But the chancellor is understood to be looking at other ways to keep housing costs low.She told the Commons last month: “I will do everything in my power and use every lever we have to bear down on the cost of living, including for people in the private rented sector.”The IPPR has calculated 2.
4 million people in the UK now have unaffordable rents, meaning it costs more than 30% of their gross income.That number is expected to rise another 340,000 by the end of the decade.Under its plans, private sector rents would be capped at whichever was lower of the 12-month average of either consumer price inflation or wage growth.This would also apply to new tenants moving into a property.Any new building would be exempted from the cap for the first 10 years in a bid to encourage developers to continue building new homes.
A landlord who has done extensive work on their property – such as installing double glazing or solar panels – would also be allowed to raise rents beyond the cap.As part of the thinktank’s plan, housing benefit would be increased to cover the cheapest 30% of rents, costing an additional £600m a year.And to avoid landlords converting their properties to Airbnbs instead, the institute is recommending a new licensing system for short-term lets and a cap on the number of nights a property can be rented out for on a short-term basis.Staff at the IPPR have been presenting their ideas to officials in the Treasury, Downing Street and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in recent weeks.Other countries have introduced rent controls at various times, with mixed success.
The Scottish government introduced temporary rent controls in 2022, but rents then jumped sharply after they expired last year.Academics say that while controls typically keep costs down on those properties covered by a cap, rents on those which are not covered rise more quickly than they otherwise would have done.
Dubois rewrites quitter narrative in strangely uplifting night for boxing
New heavyweight champion climbed off the canvas twice before overwhelming Fabio Wardley in a battle that finally silenced his doubters“I was in there with a live dog and I loved it,” Daniel Dubois said in the early hours of Sunday morning as, looking suitably gladiatorial without a shirt, the new WBO world heavyweight champion reflected on the monumental battle he had just shared with the valiant Fabio Wardley in Manchester. “He came to win and it was a real crowd-pleaser. We had a great fight.”At ringside it had been a sobering privilege to see the courage and resolve of both men in a contest that captured the glory and the damage of boxing in equal measure. Dubois rose from the canvas twice, with the first knockdown coming a mere 10 seconds after the opening bell, but Wardley endured a sustained form of punishment which became increasingly worrying
Scotland’s Six Nations slump raises questions for new era under Sione Fukofuka | Sarah Rendell
The Scots could collect the wooden spoon a year after their historic World Cup run. Why has progress stalled so dramatically?Is it a World Cup hangover? Or a growing injury list? Or something else? These are the questions Scotland supporters are asking themselves in the midst of a disappointing Women’s Six Nations. This was a tournament where legends such as Donna Kennedy were hoping for a third-place finish; the fact the team could end up with the wooden spoon is staggering, especially considering their historic World Cup run last year.Scotland reached the last eight for the first time since 2002 and did so in convincing fashion. They defeated Fiji, their win over Wales was dominant and they challenged Canada, the eventual runners-up, in their final pool match
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AFL to plough funds into addressing racism as league grapples with Indigenous drop-off
The AFL will divert around $300,000 from Indigenous guernsey sales towards initiatives designed to address culturally unsafe environments and racism, as the league grapples with a growing trend of First Nations players leaving the game.The number of Indigenous players in the league has dropped every year since its peak of 87 in 2020, to now where it sits at 62. Under its five-year strategy drafted last year, the AFL has targeted an increase to 89 by 2030.AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said First Nations teenagers are getting drafted at a higher rate than their overall share of the league, but more work needs to be done to ensure players can fulfil their potential.“What we did see last year was nine Indigenous players drafted in the men’s competition, which was a bigger proportion of the 80-or-so players drafted – percentage-wise, that was a really high percentage,” he said
‘What does that mean?’: Wembanyama confused after playoff ejection for elbowing Reid
Victor Wembanyama was ejected for the first time in his NBA career after an elbow to the jaw and neck of Naz Reid as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the San Antonio Spurs to level their playoff series at two games apiece.Wembanyama was whistled for an offensive foul as soon as he struck Reid, who had swarmed the Spurs star outside the paint along with teammate Jaden McDaniels after the 7ft 4in Wembanyama rebounded a missed three-pointer by the Spurs.After a video review of the play, with the fans at Minnesota’s Target Center chanting, “Kick him out! Kick him out!,” the foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 2 for excessive contact above the neck. The penalty triggered an automatic ejection, and the Timberwolves went on to win 114-109. However, despite the ejection the Wolves never fully took advantage of the gift created by his absence
Middlesex, Durham and Essex wrap up wins: county cricket, day three – as it happened
A memorable three-wicket over from Naavya Sharma, sailing in from the Brian Statham end, whippy action and fast arm, knocked the beans out of Lancashire, who slumped to a high-drama six-wicket defeat against their promotion rivals Middlesex after being sent packing for 84.Sharma’s first ball of the morning was nibbled to slip by Matty Hurst, then a flat-footed Tom Hartley parried the next behind. Tom Bailey survived the hat-trick ball but survival was brief as he fenced the final delivery also to slip. Sharma polished things off in his next over to finish with best bowling figures of four for 17.Ryan Higgins also banked four, including the bizarre dismissal of Mitch Stanley, who lost his leg bail despite the ball brushing off stump
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