GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope has suggested that the Rachel Reeves housing scandal is far from over, indicating that further revelations could emerge.
The controversy surrounds Ms Reeves’s failure to obtain a selective rental licence for her South East London property, even though she has previously supported the rollout of similar schemes in Leeds, where she represents.
Discussing this on GB News, host Dawn Neesom said: “She can’t claim that she wasn’t aware of this scheme because, as recently as October 20, she welcomed Leeds City Council’s decision to expand their selective landlord licensing policy to include a certain area of Leeds.”
Christopher said: “She was very much aware of it. October 20 isn’t that long ago.
Christopher Hope has suggested that the Rachel Reeves housing scandal is far from over
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GB NEWS
“She is clearly aware of the concept of these selective licences.
“She has supported the rollout of these licences in Leeds, where she represents.
“Of course, these licences require landlords to meet certain standards, provide safety documentation, and ensure that properties are kept habitable.
“She may not have known that it applied to her property in South East London, that is certainly what her team are saying.
“We’re told that they hadn’t been warned about this by an estate agent and therefore hadn’t acted. So, it wasn’t an inadvertent error. She is now trying to correct it.”
He added: “There is a lot more to see here, an I’ll be heading to the afternoon lobby briefing this afternoon to find out what that is.”
A spokeswoman for Ms Reeves said: “Since becoming Chancellor, Rachel Reeves has rented out her family home through a lettings agency.
“She had not been made aware of the licencing requirement, but as soon as it was brought to her attention, she took immediate action and has applied for the licence.
Rachel Reeves will deliver the Budget in November
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GETTY“This was an inadvertent mistake and in the spirit of transparency, she has made the Prime Minister, the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards and the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards aware.”
Ms Reeves, who owns a four-bedroom detached home in South London, listed the property for rent at £3,200 per month last year. She has been collecting rental income from the property since September 2024.
That means the Chancellor has earned around £44,800 in rent, a sum higher than the annual income of nearly 80 per cent of people, according to data.
By comparison, the average salary in her own constituency is £33,904 a year.
Ms Reeves is due to deliver her second Budget as Chancellor on Wednesday, November 26, when she is expected to unveil a series of major tax raids.
There is growing speculation that the Chancellor could break key manifesto pledges, including on income tax.
The last Labour Cabinet minister to refer themselves for alleged rule-breaking was Angela Rayner, in September 2025.