Keir Starmer under fire for NOT saying landlords are “working people”

Keir Starmer under fire for NOT saying landlords are “working people”

10:26 AM, 25th October 2024, About a month ago 37

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The Prime Minister has slammed landlords by not confirming they are “working people”.

In an interview with Sky News, Keir Starmer struggled to define a “working person” but says people who earn income through property or shares are not working people.

The issue is important because the Labour election manifesto promised not to raise taxes for working people – which means landlords should prepare for a tax hit in next week’s Budget.

Mr Starmer’s comments come as a cabinet minister also refused to say six times on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme whether landlords are working people.

The NRLA have hit back at the Prime Minister’s comments, describing them as stoking misconceptions about landlords.

Wouldn’t come under my definition

When asked to define a working person Mr Starmer said: “A working person is somebody who goes out and earns their living, usually paid in a sort of monthly cheque.

“People who go out and work hard and maybe save a bit of money but can not write a cheque to get out of difficulties.”

Beth Rigby on Sky News, slammed the Prime Minister for his broad definition of working people and pressed on whether his definition of a “working person” includes those who earn part or all of their income from property or shares.

Mr Starmer said: “Well, they wouldn’t come within my definition.”

The Prime Minister then refused to rule out a tax rise for landlords in the upcoming budget.

According to the Daily Mail, Downing Street later tried to calm the storm following the Prime Minister’s remarks, insisting that individuals who hold a small amount of savings in stocks and shares still qualify as ‘working.’

The PM’s official spokesman stated that Mr Starmer was referring to Britons who primarily earn their income from assets.

NRLA reaction

According to the government’s most recent English Private Landlords Survey in 2021, 30% of landlords were employed full-time and 10% part-time.

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “It is simply not true that landlords are not working people.

“Official data shows that 30% of landlords are employed full-time, with a further 10% working part-time. 28% are self-employed in some way, while 35% are retired and are likely to rely on their rental income for their pension.

“Rather than stoking misconceptions, the government needs to focus instead on the key challenge in the rental market, namely a lack of homes to rent to meet ever-growing demand.”

Refused six times

Mr Starmer’s comments come as a cabinet minister refused six times to say whether a landlord is a working person.

Nick Robinson on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme asked Treasury Minister James Murray whether people who earn money from assets – such as landlords – are ‘working people’

Mr Murray simply said: “Our manifesto said we would protect working people by not raising income tax, national insurance or VAT and we will keep that promise.”

The interview with Sky News can be seen below at 6:00


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JB

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10:52 AM, 25th October 2024, About a month ago

What an absolute insult to say landlords, who are often on call 24/7, are not working people!

Northernpleb

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11:11 AM, 25th October 2024, About a month ago

Its not just Landlords ,
It appears to be all self employed people who do not get a monthly Cheque. and anyone who has put money aside for a Rainy day.

Downsize Government

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11:25 AM, 25th October 2024, About a month ago

We have a dictionary to define words like working and people. Kier is redefining the words to mean whatever he wants. It sounds like he wants "working people" to mean people who have few choices.

He keeps getting caught up in the ambiguity and disparity. The problem is created a term to sound like one thing but mean something else, without defining what that something else is.

This essentially makes his promise mean nothing, because no-one could understand it but Kier.

David West

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11:52 AM, 25th October 2024, About a month ago

So, as we manage all our 26 properties ourselves, also do them or organise any repairs needed, working available 24 hrs a day 365 days a year, but we are classed as not working. He needs his brain looking at, in fact if he has one. Hope the budget does not take his thoughts seriously.

DP

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12:23 PM, 25th October 2024, About a month ago

Reply to the comment left by David West at 25/10/2024 - 11:52
He's welcome to come and spend a day with me at the moment If he wants to see what a working Landlord looks like, I won't bore everyone with the detail as sure they already know, those that manage them themselves. So out of touch with it all. its a business like any other just that it and us are not treated like it by politicians. They think that you just give someone the keys and then sit back and take the money while you watch your investment grow. Oh dear . . . .

Luke P

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12:40 PM, 25th October 2024, About a month ago

Not working, but still a very real possibility we could be charged National Insurance on rents at this upcoming budget…??

Derek And jen

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12:54 PM, 25th October 2024, About a month ago

My goodness
not working people !!!
Some have no clue.
When we started out we used to work 100 to 120 hours a week for 10 plus years !
now still work 40/60 hours a week !!

HMRC says its not a business
PM says it not work !!

Sounds like lines form an Adam and the Ants song .......
" what do you do ! "

Keith Wellburn

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13:02 PM, 25th October 2024, About a month ago

Keir Starmer tying himself in knots with the notion those who have acquired assets or decent savings from working are not ‘working people’.

The sheer hypocrisy is off the scale. He is a wealthy man - he was granted special pension arrangements with his own Act of Parliament when he stood down as DPP in 2013 as his provision would otherwise have been in excess of the then lifetime cap and been subject to the punitive 55% tax charge everyone else would be liable for.

Despite being over the age when he can draw on his pension provision he clocks up an incredible £100,000 plus in freebies and handouts.

I can see the complexity of the particular question of when a landlord is or isn’t working depending on how their operation is structured - but I’m certainly not interested in being put into any classification by a wealthy hypocrite who needs a sugar daddy to buy his specs for him.

Dylan Morris

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13:40 PM, 25th October 2024, About a month ago

Reply to the comment left by Luke P at 25/10/2024 - 12:40Hardly surprising Starmer can’t define a working person when he can’t even define what a woman is. This creature’s brain is completely scrambled. He only got his hands on power because the Tories intentionally threw the election. That’s why we’re in this dystopian situation.
Regarding national insurance on rental income that will no doubt be imposed on the false Section 24 “profit”. If he goes down this route even more landlords will sell up and rents will rise further. There will simply be no money in it.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if he removes the 20% tax credit, that must really stick in his throat. Landlords getting a tax credit on their mortgage interest when working people don’t ……I can see how his dysfunctional brain is working, all those uncontrollable neurons firing off in all directions.

Neil Patterson

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