Housing was one of Labour’s central policy battlegrounds ahead of the 2024 general election, with the party pledging to boost homeownership, increase housebuilding and strengthen renters’ rights.
But new polling carried out by Ipsos suggests the government is struggling to convince voters that progress is being made.
Fewer than one in five people (17%) now believe the Labour government is doing a good job on housing, down four percentage points compared with May 2025. The figures underline the scale of the challenge facing ministers as affordability pressures, rising rents and housing shortages continue to dominate across large parts of the country.
Labour entered office promising to deliver 1.5 million new homes during the current parliament, alongside planning reform designed to accelerate development and unlock stalled housing supply. The government has also pressed ahead with rental sector reform, including plans to abolish Section 21 “no fault” evictions.
However, the housing market remains under pressure. Housebuilding levels have slowed, planning approvals remain subdued and mortgage affordability continues to affect first-time buyers despite some easing in interest rates.
The polling also suggests there is no clear political consensus among voters on which party currently has the strongest housing strategy.
Around a quarter of respondents said Reform UK (25%) would do a better job on housing than Labour, while 23% selected the Green Party and 22% chose the Conservatives. No data was provided for any of the other political parties.
The fragmented response highlights wider public dissatisfaction with housing delivery across successive governments, particularly around affordability, rental costs and access to homeownership.
For the property industry, the figures are likely to increase pressure on Labour to demonstrate measurable progress on planning reform, housing delivery and transaction activity over the coming year.
Recent polling shows this segment of voter is growing more open to considering alternatives [parties],” said Ben Marshall, research director at Ipsos in the UK.
Renters’ rights reforms yet to cut through beyond eviction changes
