Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, has promised that the party will create the biggest increase in affordable housing “in a generation” if they win power. She has vowed to tighten the grip on developers who try to “wriggle out” of their social obligations. According to Rayner, the party aims to free up funds for councils and housing associations to build more homes for rent.
At the moment, Labour is congregating at what could be their last conference before the following general election. The party’s spirits are high after winning Rutherglen and Hamilton West back from the SNP by a large margin in a by-election last Thursday. The result has raised hopes in the party of a Labour comeback in Scotland, potentially paving the way to victory at the general election, expected next year.
Labour’s leadership is looking to use their week in Liverpool to draw dividing lines with the Conservatives on issues such as housing, net zero, and climate. However, under pressure from some in their own ranks, the Labour leadership needs to define and be bolder in outlining precisely what the party stands for, following months of caution about announcing significant spending commitments.
Sharon Graham, the general secretary of the Unite union, which has been the party’s principal funder at recent elections, has warned that the Labour leadership needs policies that “people can go out and vote for.” The current leadership needs to be extremely cautious on issues such as nationalisation and economic reform, as it could pay the price at the polling booth if they aren’t.
Angela Rayner, who is both the shadow housing secretary and Labour’s deputy leader, plans to outline the party’s housing policies in a speech to conference on Sunday. She states that Labour is targeting to exceed the unfulfilled Tory pledge of 300,000 new homes per year, but will not specify a number. The party is pledging to give local authorities greater powers to negotiate with property firms and construct homes where necessary.
Furthermore, Labour says they’ll prevent developers from wriggling out of their affordable housing commitments and introduce a unit of experts to give councils and housing associations advice on negotiating with property firms. The party would also publish guidelines that would, in essence, restrict companies from challenging these requirements unless there were authentic obstacles to constructing homes. Labour states that it would also make it easier for councils to use cash from right-to-buy to construct new homes
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