I AM often told that Labour isn’t ‘left enough’ anymore, and that ‘all politicians are the same’, but, in the past two weeks, we’ve offered renters new protections, and championed the voice of leaseholders – proving in no uncertain terms that Labour is firmly on the side of UK citizens more than faceless corporations.

As someone who was elected on a pledge to tackle the Cornish Housing Crisis, I was very proud to see the Renters’ Rights Bill receive Royal Assent last week. This is a big issue in Mid Cornwall – where scores of tenants tell me their lives have been turned upside down through no-fault evictions. That stops now.

The Bill offers other reliefs to renters – including an end to bidding wars and fixed term contracts – which will default to monthly rolling contracts. Upfront rents will be capped at one month, pet requests must be considered fairly, and landlords must give tenants four months’ notice if they want to sell.

Given that I’ve seen someone close to me served a no-fault eviction and given two months to vacate, all whilst caring for a parent with cancer, I can tell you, four months is not unreasonable – it can be lifechanging for tenants.

This is about fairness, security, and treating renters with respect. It’s what we’ve been fighting for - and what people deserve.

While the vast amount of feedback I have seen has been positive, of course there are some understandable concerns from landlords – including those who operate in a legitimate and responsible way.

But they’re not who this legislation is aimed at. We’re targeting those people who for too long have treated tenants as mere chess pieces in a money-making game, with no regard for the impact on their lives. I am true to Labour principles, that the priority is giving everyone access to security in a decent home - not merely ensuring the sustainability of landlords’ investment portfolios or pension funds.

I’ve also heard scare stories that this will somehow lead to a reduction in rental properties – as if landlords selling up leads to properties disappearing into thin air. That’s not true – but homes could become available for purchase in a freer and fairer market – which I fully support. Especially coupled with our plans to build 1.5-million homes, including social housing to ensure availability.

I’d also like to reassure landlords that this is no carte blanche for the problem tenants of this world – as grounds to evict on the basis of anti-social behaviour are in fact strengthened by the Bill.

In parallel, I was pleased to speak in a Backbench Business Debate about unfair service charges for leaseholders – who are often having to pay soaring fees only to see basic issues unresolved for months on end, with management companies that are slow, unaccountable and uncommunicative. It’s no wonder that stress, frustration and resentment towards the sector is growing.

I am therefore fully supportive of my constituents’ calls for a stronger ability to take on the right to manage - which often results in extraordinarily effective arrangements, with better services, value for money and local oversight, all compounding to support communities to thrive.

Property management is about basic communal infrastructure – it’s not a sector that should lend itself to the high-flying returns expected by its private equity owners, who have learnt to exploit a broken market.

There’s now an urgent need for regulation of what’s, for the big players like FirstPort, become a licence to print money.

I am determined government addresses this via the forthcoming Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill – while giving leaseholders a much fairer deal.