Calls are growing for the Labour MP who was shamed for renting out mouldy and unlicensed flats to step down.

Tenants’ groups want Jas Athwal (main image) to resign - although they haven’t specified if they think he should lose both the Labour whip and his post as councillor on London’s Redbridge Council.

London Renters Union’s X posts have garnered thousands of likes. Spokesman Zad El Bacha says: “As a landlord he’s responsible to make sure his houses are safe. We simply cannot trust our government to take care of us as renters and to solve the housing crisis with people like Jas Athwal in power. We think the only thing that’s enough is for him to resign.”

Writing to Redbridge council, the group which includes the charitable arm of the Nationwide building society, explained that Athwal should be investigated after being accused of discriminating against people who receive housing benefit.

The newly-elected MP for Ilford South, who owns 15 rental flats - making him the biggest landlord in the House of Commons – was exposed by the BBC which revealed that in one block of seven flats he owns, nearly half the tenants had to regularly clean their bathroom ceilings to remove mould.

Athwal also admitted his flats do not have the correct property licences required under a scheme he introduced as Redbridge Council leader.

Tom Darling (pictured), director of the Renters’ Reform Coalition, told the Big Issue that the accusations against Athwal were “absolutely unacceptable”. He adds: “We must see urgent and wide-reaching reforms to get a grip on the renting crisis and tackle negligent landlords.”

Sir Keir Starmer has said it was “not good enough” for the MP to allow tenants to live in the affected flats and that Athwal had to take action to put it right “as quickly as possible”. However, the PM would not be drawn on whether he would strip the Labour whip if the problems were not resolved.

Athwal has since dismissed the agent responsible for managing the properties, Raymond Williams.