How many U-turns can a government perform before it starts spinning out of control? Liz Truss is reportedly considering yet another change of heart over existing policy: this time over plans to end no-fault evictions.
In the month or so Truss has been Prime Minister, she’s U-turned on a key Treasury appointment and scrapping the 45p rate of tax. One source told the Times the eviction policy was not considered a priority by the government and would be delayed; another said it would be scrapped entirely. Asked about today’s reports, a government housing spokesman said: ‘Everyone deserves to live in a safe and secure home. A fair deal for renters remains a priority, and we are carefully considering our next steps for the rental market.’
In the past three years there have been record numbers of no-fault evictions, with estimates from April putting the number at around 200,000 – one every seven minutes
The banning of Section 21 notices – which give landlords the power to ask private tenants to leave their property within two months without having to provide a reason, often called ‘no-fault evictions’ – has been mentioned in three Queen’s speeches and was raised under Theresa May in spring 2019.
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