Rushanara Ali, Britain’s minister for homelessness, resigned yesterday after revelations that she ordered tenants to vacate a property she had rented out—and then, weeks later, re‑listed the same property at a rent that was seven hundred pounds higher.

Ali, a Labor minister aged fifty, had let a property in east London to four tenants.

According to reports, last November the tenants received an email informing them their fixed‑term tenancy, due to end in four months, would not be renewed and that they should prepare to leave.

The tenants complied and vacated the property.

Weeks later, the property was registered anew and offered for rent again, this time at four thousand pounds per month compared with three thousand three hundred previously.

The incident raised questions in view of Ali’s public stance against exploitative landlords and her calls for rental reforms.

Labour is currently promoting legislation that would prohibit landlords from re‑registering properties for rent at sharply increased rates shortly after tenants have vacated.

In a statement released by her office, Ali’s spokesperson said that the property had initially been placed on the market for sale while the tenants were still in situ, that the tenants had been informed they could remain on short‑term rolling tenancies during the sale process, and that the property was only re‑listed for rent after failing to sell, with the rent then increased.

Ali’s political opponents were unconvinced by these explanations.

The Conservative Party chair, Kevin Hollinrake, described her behaviour as “appalling hypocrisy,” given her own advocacy for tenant protections: “You cannot say those things and then act as a landlord in this way,” he said.

Housing rights groups also denounced her conduct.

A spokesperson for a London renters’ group labelled her actions “indefensible” and called for her resignation due to the clear conflict of interest involved.

A policy director at a major homelessness charity said Ali’s actions undercut Labour’s own promised reforms, noting that the renters’ bill had been explicitly designed to ban such practices.

Ali announced her resignation last night, asserting that she had complied with all legal requirements.

In her resignation letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, she said that remaining in her post would distract from government business.

Her departure comes at a politically sensitive time, as Labor’s popularity lags in opinion polls—just over a year after a resounding electoral victory.

Reform UK, a right‑wing populist party, currently leads in the polls, while Labour stands to lose many parliamentary seats under the current trends.

In her resignation, Ali reaffirmed her adherence to the relevant legal standards.

In a final statement, she wrote that while she believed she had acted properly, she felt that her continued presence in the role would serve as a distraction from the government’s work.

Prime Minister Starmer accepted her resignation, expressing gratitude for her service and noting that she would continue to support government efforts from the backbenches.