SCOTTISH Labour has launched a petition to save legislation that would protect tenants in Scotland, after the proposed Bill was blocked by the SNP and Tories in Holyrood. 

The party is calling on supporters to back the appeal, which is pressuring the Scottish government to adopt the Fair Rents (Scotland) Bill. 

The drafted Bill has been lodged with the Scottish Parliament by Glasgow MSP Pauline McNeill.

It looks to build on the radical Labour tradition of opposing unfair rents, as well as honouring the pioneer of the 1915 Glasgow rent strike. 

The so-called Mary Barbour Bill proposes capping increases on private-sector rents and giving more power to tenants.

But SNP and Tory MSPs decided to discontinue the Bill’s passage through Holyrood’s local government committee, claiming there was not enough time to progress it further before the end of the parliamentary term. 

Ms McNeill said the move was “ hugely disappointing,” but that “Nicola Sturgeon has another chance to show that she is on the side of hard-pressed renters.”

Labour worked closely with campaigners and legal experts from Govan Law Centre to develop the Bill, who are backing calls for the protections to be progressed. 

Govan Law Centre’s Mike Dailly said: “The year-on-year escalation of private rent increases is unsustainable, especially in a Covid-19 world where tens of thousands of Scots have seen their incomes drop with redundancy and unemployment looming for all too many.  

“Scotland needs to talk about private rent affordability. Our Parliament needs to act to give vulnerable tenants some basic legal protection.” 

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said housing was a priority for the government, with a number of measures implemented to protect tenants, in particular during the Covid-19 pandemic.