Green Party votes during conference to ‘abolish’ private landlords

The Green Party has passed a motion at its annual conference that calls for an “effective abolition of private landlordism” to be party of its official party policy.

The motion includes giving tenants the first right to buy when a landlord sells, with their “total rent paid discounted” and supported by Government-backed financing. Councils would be given the second right to buy.

No positive value to the economy or society.”

Additional measures include introducing rent controls, abolishing the Right to Buy for public tenants and ending buy-to-let mortgages.

In the motion, landlords were said to add “no positive value to the economy or society”, and the relationship between landlords and tenants was described as “inherently and intrinsically extractive and exploitative”.

Carla Denyer (pictured), Green MP for Bristol Central, however, sought to play down the policy, saying it does not actually ‘abolish’ landlords but “addresses the housing crisis, empowers tenants and improves their wellbeing”.

Denyer adds that the policies would “over time, reduce the proportion of the housing market that is privately rented, and increase the proportion of socially rented homes”.

Land value tax

Further proposals backed by party activists include a land value tax on landowners, levying National Insurance on private rents and making all rental agreements long-term tenancies that can only be terminated by the tenant.

Those letting out Airbnbs or other short-term lets would have to pay business rates, while empty properties would face double taxation.

Shahrar Ali, a former deputy leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, criticised the motion, telling the Telegraph it “unfortunately reads like a communist manifesto.”

It’s a sledgehammer to crack a nut and wrongly assumes all rental agreements or landlords are necessarily exploitative. At the heart of the policy is a desire to destroy any semblance of wealth creation generated by letting.”

Alexander Sallons, a member of the Greens and the motion’s lead proposer, admits it would be “controversial in the party” as “many members are still uncomfortable with the bold and decisive tone”.

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Author: Gemma