Mayor calls for action against bad landlord MPs

Mr Athwal has apologised for the conditions in which his tenants lived

London mayor Sadiq Khan has said action should be taken against bad landlords regardless of whether they are "Labour MPs or ordinary people".

A BBC investigation revealed the new Ilford South MP, Labour's Jas Athwal, was renting out flats with ant infestations and black mould.

Mr Athwal, the former leader of Redbridge council, has also admitted his flats did not have correct property licenses - as required under a scheme that he introduced himself.

Mr Khan made the comments after he was asked if Mr Athwal should be disciplined by the party.

Some of the properties had ceilings rife with black mould

Mr Athwal has apologised and sacked the agency that managed the flats but there have been calls for him to resign - and the London Renters Union has accused him of breaking licensing laws.

Mr Khan said: "A bad landlord is a bad landlord.

"It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Labour MP or a normal person. If you’re a bad landlord action should be taken against you.

"I wasn’t aware of Jas’s various properties until I saw the BBC report. I think it’s right he sacked the managing agent."

He added it was right that Mr Athwal had apologised and "it’s right he’s going to personally compensate all those tenants who have lost out".

"But it’s wrong that tenants, Londoners, are living in the awful accommodation that his tenants were living in," he said.

Mr Khan was asked whether the Labour Party should suspend Mr Athwal, but replied: "There are 75 MPs in London, 59 of them are Labour MPs.

"Thankfully I’m not in charge of disciplining MPs."

Earlier this week the prime minister said the state of the properties was “unacceptable".

But when asked why Mr Athwal was not being punished, Sir Keir Starmer said the Ilford South MP was taking action to put it right.