Labour's Homelessness Minister has been blasted for the latest Government "hypocrisy" after "evicting tenants from her property" and raising the rent price by £700 a month.
Rushanara Ali has sparked controversy after removing tenants living in her property in an attempt to sell it, before increasing the rental payments on her four-bedroom townhouse near London's Olympic Park from £3,300 to £4,000 every month.
A spokesman for Ali has said: "Rushanara takes her responsibilities seriously and complied with all relevant legal requirements."
Getty, GB News
|Rushanara Ali has been blasted by former Homelessness Charity CEO Nick Buckley after 'evicting tenants' from her property before hiking the rent by £700
Discussing the incident on GB News, former homelessness charity worker Nick Buckley expressed his outrage at Ali.
He fumed: "You couldn't make this up if you wanted to. Out of all the ministers who could do this, it's the Homelessness Minister.
"Homelessness is very complicated, but in this particular case, what's annoying all of us is the hypocrisy."
In direct criticism of Ali, Buckley added: "Here is a Government minister whose brief is to help the most vulnerable in society rough sleepers, homeless people, people at risk of becoming homeless.
"And because she sees this property as a business, not a home, she's quite happy to go against everything she pretends to believe in as a socialist, as a Labour minister, just to earn more money."
GOOGLE | Rushanara Ali's four-bedroom east London townhouse (pictured) saw its rent surge by £700 per month
Highlighting how "out of touch" it makes Ali and the Labour Government look, Buckley explained: "Most people would do this, because it's £700 a month. Most people I know would do this.
"But to be the Minister for Homelessness and pretend you're a socialist and you're on the side of the poor, the vulnerable, the working class.
"This is just another example of politicians who not only are out of touch, but completely lie to us all the time about their compassion."
As host Tom Harwood cited Ali's argument that the property and rental operations were in the hands of the "letting companies", Buckley tore into the Labour Minister for "excuse making".
Buckley stated: "It's another example of 'it's not my fault'. I pay this company to look after my property, and they may abuse, they may assault my tenants, but it's not my fault, is it? Because it's not me.
GB News
|Buckley told GB News that Ali is 'lucky' to have gained £700 a month more in rent after relisting the property
"This is just excuse making. That company works for her, they take direction from her. And let's say it's all true what she said, let's say she put the house for sale and it didn't sell for whatever reason.
"I'll tell you why it didn't sell, she was asking too much money, because she's a socialist who believes in capitalism. That's what she is."
Buckley concluded: "So the house didn't sell, and she just puts it back on the market. It's quite lucky, isn't it?
"Isn't it quite lucky that you put it back on the market to rent, and there's a £700 increase in the rent. Isn't that lucky? I'll tell you what, I'd like to be as lucky as her."