MP branded as "the friend of rogue landlords"

A newspaper has branded a Conservative MP as the friend of the rogue landlord because he deliberately talked out a proposal to stop so-called revenge evictions, when rogue landlords evicting tenants asking for basic repairs.

Philip Davies, a former Asda marketing manager who is now Tory member for Shipley, is described by The Independent as having the reputation of being Britain's most-belligerent MP because of that filibustering and similar tactics employed on other legislation concerning overseas aid, gay rights and smoking bans.

Davies made what the newspaper calls an hour-long speech objecting to the Tenancies (Reform) Bill proposed by Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather. It that would have prevented landlord from evicting their tenants for requesting vital repairs be done to their property; although defeated thanks to Davies, a version of the measure is next month being debated in the House of Lords and now stands a stronger chance of becoming law.

He (Davies) has been talking for a very long time on the same point, she said. He is in danger of repeating the same point continuously and - dare I say it - repetition can get a bit tedious the deputy speaker of the Commons told Davies during his tactial speech.

Asked by The Independent whether his tactics are a little underhand, Davies was unrepentant.

When I first got elected to Parliament my mentor was Eric Forth [the former Conservative MP] and he really was the past master of talking out bills on a Friday, he said. He did it for fun and he was brilliant at it. After he died I vowed I would do the same kind of work.