Politics

Angela Rayner Confirms 200-Year-Old Law That Punished Homeless People Will Finally Be Scrapped

Published on June 11, 2025

Angela Rayner has announced that Labour will finally scrap a controversial law that’s been hanging over rough sleepers for the last 200 years. The Deputy Prime Minister confirmed plans to axe the Vagrancy Act of 1824 a law that’s long been slammed by homelessness charities for criminalizing people just for sleeping on the streets.

Speaking out, Rayner called the act “shameful” and said it had no place in a modern society. “We are drawing a line under nearly two centuries of injustice towards some of the most vulnerable in society, who deserve dignity and support,” she said. “No one should ever be criminalized simply for sleeping rough and by scrapping this cruel and outdated law, we are making sure that can never happen again”, reported the Manchester Evening News.

The change will be made through an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, and the government is aiming to have it repealed by next spring. While the Vagrancy Act will be gone, ministers have confirmed that new measures will be introduced to crack down on organised begging and trespassing instead — things that are considered very different from people sleeping rough through no fault of their own.

The news has been met with a huge wave of support from charities and campaigners who’ve been fighting for years to see the law scrapped. Matt Downie, the chief executive of Crisis, described it as a major breakthrough. “This is a landmark moment that will change lives and prevent thousands of people from being pushed into the shadows, away from safety,” he said.

“For 200 years the Vagrancy Act has meant that people who are homeless are treated as criminals and second-class citizens. It has punished people for trying to stay safe and done nothing to address why people become homeless in the first place.”

Downie went on to say the decision recognised “a shameful history of persecuting people for poverty and destitution” — and praised the government for taking real leadership. He also pointed out that even major historical figures like William Wilberforce and Winston Churchill once stood against the Vagrancy Act.

Emma Haddad, CEO of homelessness charity St Mungo’s, said the repeal “cannot come soon enough.” She highlighted the thousands of people her organisation is supporting every day who’ve ended up on the streets, often due to things completely out of their control. “Everyone facing this issue has their own heartbreaking story to tell,” she said, pointing to the link between homelessness and issues like poor mental health, physical illness and soaring housing costs.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has also confirmed that efforts will now be focused on tackling the actual causes of homelessness, rather than punishing people for being homeless. As part of that, an additional £233 million is being pumped into homelessness services this year alone.

Rushanara Ali, Minister for Homelessness, said the decision marked “a historic shift” in how the country responds to rough sleeping. “Repealing an archaic Act that is neither just nor fit for purpose” was a vital step, she said. “Scrapping the Vagrancy Act for good is another step forward in our mission to tackle homelessness in all its forms, by focusing our efforts on its root causes.”

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