LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 23: Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch gives an interview following her speech at IET (Institute of Engineering and Technology) on July 23, 2026 in London, England. Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch is demanding that the new Labour Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, explicitly rule out tax rises to fund what she calls a "spending spree". Since Burnham took office he has has introduced a flurry of immediate "cost of living" measures including scrapping the 5% VAT on domestic electricity bills, bringing back the £2 maximum bus fare cap and Introducing a 20% cut in business rates for pubs, clubs, and live music venues. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)The Tories have been accused of trying to copy Reform UK after announcing they would ban foreigners from living in social housing.
A leading charity warned that the policy would “ruin people’s lives, drive up homelessness and put extreme pressure on councils”.
Labour also dismissed the proposal, which the Conservatives said would save taxpayers millions of pounds, as “unserious and unworkable”.
The Tories said around 230,000 homes would become available to British families instead of foreigners as a result of their plan.
Tenants who do not qualify under the proposed policy would be expected to move out of their homes within six months.
Foreign nationals with settled status, refugee status, or specific humanitarian protections can currently qualify for social housing.
Asylum seekers are not eligible, unless in exceptional circumstances such as domestic abuse cases.
Under the Tories’ plan, any single person currently living in social housing who is not a UK, Irish or EU citizen would lose their home.
For future tenancies, UK nationals and those with EU settled status would be eligible, however any new EU citizens without settled status would not be.
Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately said: “Making Britain your home should be earned by working, paying tax and integrating.
“It should not come with a free ride on the benefits system. Britain cannot be a cash machine for the world.
“Labour has lost control of immigration and lost control of the welfare bill, and it is British families picking up the bill and sitting on waiting lists.”
But Sarah Elliott, chief executive of housing charity Shelter, said: “These divisive plans would brutally kick people out of their homes, including thousands of families and pensioners who have lived in them for decades.
“And let’s not forget that social tenants pay rent, which goes back to the public purse and into society.
“It is completely senseless to ruin people’s lives, drive up homelessness and put extreme pressure on councils.”
A Labour spokesperson said: “This is an unserious, unworkable proposal, copied from Reform, that does nothing to tackle the housing crisis the Tories themselves created.
“It would also leave more families at risk of homelessness, while driving up the use of temporary accommodation at the taxpayers’ expense.
“No amount of headline-chasing, or following Reform to the extremes, can hide the damage the Tories did to our housing system.”
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