Mortgage campaigner and Labour MP Taiwo Owatemi faces backlash over ‘Pet Rent’ expense claims

Labour MP and mortgage campaigner Taiwo Owatemi is under fire after revelations surfaced that she claimed £900 in taxpayer-funded ‘pet rent’ for her dog, Bella, to stay at her London residence.

The Coventry North West MP (main picture), who has been outspoken about the financial struggles of homeowners due to rising mortgage rates, now faces accusations of hypocrisy.

Campaigners and charities have condemned her expense claims as a “disgrace,” arguing that such expenditures are an insult to those experiencing real financial hardship.

FINANCIAL HARDSHIP

Owatemi had previously spoken in the House of Commons about the financial hardship caused by the mini-Budget announced by then-Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng in September 2022.

She warned of market instability, soaring interest rates and the devastating effect on homeowners.

“Many constituents have written to me with their concerns about being able to get on the housing ladder and get a mortgage, due to the fact that the Government damaged mortgage rates.

“Does [the Chancellor] agree that the Government’s economic vandalism has had a significant impact on first-time buyers and their ability to get on the property ladder?” she told Parliament.

PERSONAL STORIES

She also highlighted personal stories, including a man at risk of losing his home just before Christmas and a woman whose mortgage had jumped by £400 a month.

But despite positioning herself as a champion for struggling homeowners it has now emerged that by 2024 Owatemi was claiming £75 a month – £900 a year – towards ‘pet rent’ under her MP expenses.

Charity figures have slammed the claim as “outrageous,” calling it an insult to those facing real financial hardship.

SHOCKING

Disability rights campaigner, Hannah Campbell, told the Sun on Sunday: “When disability money is being cut, to hear that an MP has received £900 for a dog really is shocking.”

Owatemi has also repeatedly blamed government policies for rising mortgage costs, arguing in 2022 that first-time buyers were being locked out of the housing market due to economic mismanagement.

But this latest controversy has cast a shadow over her credibility and could have unknown consequences.

Owatemi’s previous comments in the House:

Hansard – the official report of the proceedings and debates in Parliament – records Owatemi saying: “Another constituent, who was in the process of moving house at the time of the Budget, was advised that the products from their current lender had been removed entirely, preventing them from porting their mortgage; and, because the number of other products that were on offer was slashed to around 10% of what had been available the week before, they faced weeks of unnecessary anxiety.

“While they were eventually able to secure a mortgage, it has come at a cost of around £200 a month more than would have been the case had they completed on their mortgage only a week earlier.

“One might say that was unlucky timing; I would say it is unforgivable incompetence.

“To provide some context, at the beginning of Covid, when the world came to a halt, 462 financial products were removed from the market.

“When this mini-Budget came out some 935 mortgage products were withdrawn in just one day. On that measure at least, the Government have done more economic damage with their Budget than a global pandemic.

“Conservative Members should reflect on that, and have a sense of shame that it has come to this.”