Why is Redbridge Council refusing to name Jas Athwal's agent when they name all other agents?

 I wrote to Redbridge Council today requesting an internal review of their decision not to name Jas Athwal's agent. More at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/name_of_jas_athwals_agent#incoming-3144106

Thank you for your reply.

You have refused the name of Mr Athwal's agent claiming it is personal data under GDPR.

However, I say the public interest obliges you to provide the information.

Two recent examples support my argument. David Lammy MP was found to have been fishing without a licence. He referred himself to the appropriate authority and was given a warning in due course.

Angela Rayner MP used her lawyers to shield herself from criticism over an underpayment of stamp duty. However, the Independent on their website reported on the 5^th September 2025.

“But on Thursday evening, conveyancing firm Verrico and Associates, which handled the flat purchase, said it did not give tax advice to Ms Rayner, and was being made “scapegoats”.”

Like David Lammy, Jas Athwal should have referred himself to Redbridge Licencing when the story of the his unlicensed slum flats broke in 2024, but did not. At the time he, like Ms Rayner, used another party, here a managing agent, to deflect blame from himself onto a managing agent.

Mr Athwal will not name his agent: it is not credible for Redbridge to refuse to name his agent. All other Landlords have their agents named on the public register. Mr Athwal must be subject to the same laws as everyone else.

There is a reasonable suspicion that Mr Athwal lied when he said he had an agent. Instead, it appears reasonable to believe he may have had help from a family member to manage the properties in question.

A case involving Redbridge Council suggests Mr Athwal would have faced a fine. I quote from the Redbridge Guardian of the 9^th August 2021.

“On July 29, Judge Martin Rodger QC granted Ekweozoh’s appeal to scrap this fine, arguing she had only “committed an offence of moderate seriousness” and should be given a warning.

He wrote: “The basic facts of this case are that a landlord with a single property… was unaware of the need for a licence, having been absent from the country for ten years.

“When the officer inspected the flat… they found it to be well maintained and in good condition.  A licence was granted without a requirement for any work to be done.

“The appellant’s non-compliance with the licensing requirement did not, therefore, cause a significant risk (or any risk) to the occupants or to the public as a whole.

“The appellant in this case has no past history with the local authority, which indicates that informal action would not be expected to achieve full compliance”. 

My concern is Mr Athwal and others may have conspired to prevent Redbridge from fining him. I say you have a duty to unearth the truth of what happened last year and provide the name of his agent." ENDS email to Redbridge

The pic shows an extract from current register taken today showing Jas Athwal as the agent, it begs question about whether he was agent when the BBC story broke last year too.