A WAR of words has erupted between two local politicians over plans to make private rents in Scotland fairer.

Kilwinning councillor Joe Cullinane has accused Cunninghame South MSP Margaret Burgess of ignoring the concerns of private renters which he described as “absolute madness”.

His comments come after the passing of the SNP’s Housing Bill in the Scottish Parliament during which proposals by Labour to limit rent reviews and to cap how much rents could rise by were voted down by the SNP and the Conservatives.

Mr Cullinane, who will stand as Labour’s candidate for Cunninghame South in 2016, said: “This was a bitterly disappointing move by Margaret Burgess who, as Housing Minister, had no interest in listening to the concerns of private renters and had no plan in place to tackle poverty in the sector.

“Rents are rising fast in Scotland, with an inflation busting 3.6 per cent increase in the last year.

“There are over 6,000 private renters in North Ayrshire, many of whom live in Cunninghame South, and these proposals would have offered some relief to people who are struggling with housing costs. People are choosing between heating their homes and the weekly shop to pay rent, it was absolute madness to ignore their concerns.

“Margaret Burgess was wrong to vote with the Tories, and instruct her SNP colleagues to do likewise, rather than vote in the interests of families renting in Cunninghame South.

“She had the opportunity to help those affected by the cost of living crisis, to help those whose living standards are being squeezed by increasing rents by reforming a sector which has doubled in size since 1999 due to the SNP’s failure to invest in social housing.

“I will not give up on renters as they have, and I will continue to make the case for fair rents in Cunninghame South, North Ayrshire and across Scotland.” However, Mrs Burgess insists that the SNP’s Housing Bill was supported by Labour and accused her rival of failing to tackle the housing problem when they were in power.

She said: “The passage of the SNP’s Housing Bill was actually supported by Labour in the Scottish Parliament.

“And it WAS the SNP’s Housing Bill, yet we get more of the tired, old Labour guff about voting with the Tories.

“While some Labour folk pontificate about housing and pose as the people’s champions, and talk a good game, the SNP Scottish Government is actually getting on with tackling the housing problems which are the legacy of previous Labour and Tory governments.

“The SNP government has seen more council houses built in Kilwinning than the previous Labour administration built in the whole of Scotland in a four-year term.

“So, we’ll take no lectures from Labour on housing!

“ Yes, private tenants – and many others in North Ayrshire and across Scotland – are suffering from the austerity agenda shared by the Labour-Tory alliance.

“But no word of apology from Labour for that, or for their failure to tackle housing when they were in power! Just try to blame somebody else – Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling never happened.” She added: “Yes, the private rented sector has expanded but, despite that, Labour in power did nothing to end right to buy when they had years in government.

“Labour in government started down the austerity road, and now promise to stick with the Tory austerity agenda, while somehow blaming others because of limited public finances!

“The whole anti-SNP rant is based on inaccurate figures; Labour say that tenants’ rents have increased by 3.6 per cent - that’s the UK figure. According to the Office for National Statistics the increase in Scotland is 1.3 per cent. “On the tenancy regime in the private sector, Labour politicians should know that there is stakeholder a review group involving Shelter Scotland, Homeless Action Scotland, COSLA, the Chartered Institute of Housing, Edinburgh private tenants’ action group and other bodies.

“The Scottish Government is committed to take forward the recommendations of this review group, and to consult in the autumn, and this will include rent levels."