Angela Rayner has called on Sir Keir Starmer to “pick more fights” with landlords and freeholders, signalling that housing remains a key battleground as Labour prepares for local elections.
Speaking at a fundraising dinner in central London, the former deputy leader and housing secretary said voters feel the system is “rigged against them” and that the government must show it is on their side.
Political pressure on landlords intensifies
Rayner’s intervention comes weeks before the 1 May local elections and follows reports that Labour is considering equalising Capital Gains Tax with income tax – a move that could significantly increase the tax burden on landlords selling properties.
She described financial strain among working households, including professionals taking on multiple jobs yet still struggling to make ends meet.
“They feel that nobody understands and cares about the difficulties they go through,” Rayner said. “These are professional people, people that are working really hard, people that have got two, three jobs and they’re still not able to get to the end of the month with their wage packet.”
She added: “They need to know they have got a government on their side, and they are impatient for change and I understand their impatience. So, I think we have to pick more fights, personally.”
Freeholders and ground rent in the firing line
Housing featured prominently in the speech, with Rayner focusing on the leasehold system and the role of freeholders collecting ground rent.
Government plans set out earlier this year would cap ground rents at £250 annually before reducing them to peppercorn levels after 40 years. This follows Landlord Knowledge’s report on how the ground rent cap could deliver an 8.7 billion pound windfall for buy-to-let landlords who own leasehold flats.
Rayner described freeholders collecting ground rent as “ripping off people for no money” and said: “People have bought flats and are now being absolutely fleeced. We should be standing up for them, we should be saying we are not having that anymore.”
The intervention follows a warning last week that Labour was “running out of time” to shift direction before May’s local elections.
Rent controls pressure grows
Meanwhile, tenant campaigners have renewed calls for rent controls, with the London Renters Union describing Labour’s approach as “pro-landlord” and calling for direct intervention on housing costs.
This mirrors the national rent controls protest planned by the Green Party ahead of the local elections, suggesting landlords face pressure from multiple directions.
What this means for landlords
- If you hold leasehold investments: Ground rent reforms remain on track – the cap at £250 benefits landlord-owned flats, but political rhetoric around “ripping off” leaseholders may signal further intervention.
- Watch for: Post-election policy shifts. Labour faces pressure from both tenant groups and its own members to take harder action on rents and taxation.
- Bottom line: Political targeting of landlords will intensify ahead of May elections, but current policy direction (RRA, ground rent caps, CGT review) remains unchanged.
Editor’s view
Rayner’s rhetoric is designed for a local election audience, not the statute book. But landlords should note the direction of travel. When a former housing secretary calls for the government to “pick fights” with property owners, it suggests the sector remains politically convenient to target – even as policy reality lags the soundbites.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 25 March 2026
Sources: Daily Telegraph, MHCLG
Related reading: Labour ministers consider equalising Capital Gains Tax with income tax
