Tories FINALLY let Labour halve Wandsworth rents

After four months of outrageous dithering, Wandsworth Conservatives have finally decided to accept the Labour Government's offer to halve their massive 6% rent increase for all council tenants.

The Labour help will put £2.77 a week, on average, back in council tenants' pockets. It's something I've been calling for since March when I wrote to the Council's Director of Housing about this issue.

I am still appalled that while the Conservatives can find the cash to freeze council tax, they choose year after year to ratchet up rents for some of the least wealthy members of our community. It's not fair and it's not right.

Despite Labour's help, under the Conservatives Wandsworth still charges the highest rents of all 32 London Boroughs. And this makes their dithering over whether to accept the Labour Government's help even worse.

Fortunately, now they've finally decided they do want Labour's help, the rent cut will be backdated to the beginning of April; so that will put a few pounds back in tenants' pockets this summer.