Senior Tories and Landlords Meet to Discuss Thwarting Renters' Rights Bill

Senior Conservatives have held private talks with big landlords about how to thwart the government's renters' rights bill, the Guardian has learned, with ideas including launching a legal challenge under human rights law.

- Kiran Stacey

Jane Scott, the shadow housing minister, recently hosted a meeting with several of the country's largest landlords and estate agents to discuss ways to delay or stop the bill. The ideas included court challenges and delaying it with repeated rounds of Lords amendments, according to three people in attendance.

The discussions have prompted accusations of collusion between the Tories and the property industry. They also give an indication of how hard the Conservatives are likely to fight the bill, even though the party previously tried to pass a similar version of the proposals.

Anny Cullum, a policy officer at the campaign group Acorn, said: "There is a coordinated attempt by landlords and their supporters within the Lords to frustrate the progress of the renters' rights bill."

She added: "Unelected and unaccountable Tory peers are using underhand tactics to deliberately delay this vital legislation even more - legislation that many of them supported in its previous guise under the last government."