Exclusive: Richard Leonard calls for rent controls in Scotland Scotland must introduce “stringent” rent controls to make housing more affordable and prevent landlords from ripping off tenants, Richard Leonard […]

Scotland must introduce “stringent” rent controls to make housing more affordable and prevent landlords from ripping off tenants, Richard Leonard has said.

The Scottish Labour leadership contender, who will formally launch his bid to succeed Kezia Dugdale on Saturday, pledged that if elected he would campaign for private rents to be set by a national regulator.

“I want to see legislation to enact stringent rent controls and measures to encourage landlords to improve properties” The i politics newsletter cut through the noise Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription. Richard Leonard

Writing for i, the MSP for Central Scotland said he wanted to create a “Mary Barbour law”, after the celebrated activist who led protests against spiralling rents in Glasgow during the First World War.

Mr Leonard’s first major policy announcement in the race for the Scottish Labour leadership echoes a similar pledge made by Jeremy Corbyn ahead of the general election.

As one of Mr Corbyn’s key allies in Holyrood, he is hoping to present himself as the radical left wing candidate in the contest, with his rival Anas Sarwar seen as more centrist.

Mr Leonard said he favoured a Dutch-style system, where private rental properties are graded based on a series of criteria such as size, facilities and amenities, allowing a fair value to be set.

National regulator

Under his plans, a national regulator would assess the fairness of any proposed rent increases from landlords against an index, informed by a range of indicators such as inflation and benefit levels.

Any landlords proposing above-index rent rises would have to justify these to the regulator by demonstrating how the property had been improved.

Tenants would also be able to appeal to the regulator to have their rent cut if they could show that the condition of the property had deteriorated.

Mr Leonard said the system could be enforced by local councils. Although he accepted that there would be “a cost” involved, he said the benefits would “far outweigh” the disadvantages.

The proposed Mary Barbour law is intended to pay homage to the Labour activist from Govan, who in 1915 led a “rent strike” against hugely inflated prices prompted by the sudden influx of engineers and shipyard workers helping with the war effort.

She led a group of volunteers dubbed “Mary Barbour’s army”, who would look out for bailiffs on their way to evict tenants before driving them off by pelting them with flour and rotting food.

“I want to see legislation to enact stringent rent controls and measures to encourage landlords to improve properties: a ‘Mary Barbour’ law,” he wrote.

“There will of course be howls of outrage from the rentier interest. But if we are to be a movement for real change, we must be prepared to face down the complaints of the few in the interests of the many.

“We as a party can live up to the example set by ‘Mrs Barbour’s Army’ and show at least the level of determination and ambition of the women of the Glasgow slums a century ago.”