Greens promise rent controls and £1 bus fares in Welsh election manifesto

In a newly released Senedd election manifesto, the Wales Green Party unveiled a commitment to implementing rent controls to ease financial strain on households. Welsh leader Antony Slaughter highlighted that the policy would initially freeze rent for one year, allowing councils to later impose caps on tenant payments. This measure aims to stabilize housing costs, which he argued are a critical issue for many residents.

Manifesto priorities and political strategy

The Greens also pledged to cap bus fares at £1 for most users, alongside offering free travel for individuals under 22. They plan to replace council tax with an alternative system, though they acknowledged the likelihood of forming a coalition rather than a majority government. Slaughter emphasized that housing remains the top priority in the 43-page document, framing it as the cornerstone of their policy agenda.

“Everyone has a right to a safe, warm, affordable secure home. That isn’t the case for so many people. It is so precarious, especially for younger people,” Slaughter stated.

Cost of living crisis and policy focus

Slaughter told his party’s launch in Port Talbot on Tuesday that the manifesto outlines a vision to “turn people’s lives around and make a better, fairer future for everyone.” He criticized decades of exploitation and 27 years of managed decline under Welsh Labour, attributing public discontent to these policies. “That anger is being used to shape something ugly and divisive,” he said, while insisting the Greens provide solutions to address grievances.

Details of rent control proposals

The party outlined that rent caps would apply within designated “rent pressure zones,” approved by the Welsh government. Increases would only be allowed if landlords made substantial improvements to properties, such as energy efficiency upgrades. Additionally, the Greens aim to ban no-fault evictions, a policy already in place in Scotland and set to take effect in England by May.

Slaughter noted that opinion polls indicate the Greens could achieve their first Senedd election victories in the history of Wales’ parliament. While not expecting to lead the next government, the party hopes its proposals will influence key negotiations for the first minister’s role.