Labour’s shadow housing secretary Lucy Powell yesterday set out the party’s plans to build “more truly affordable homes”.
The party has pledged to cap the amount of property overseas investors can purchase in new developments, in a bid to help first-time buyers.
The party would also give first-time buyers first refusal on new builds for six months, vowed to reform rules governing how developers contribute towards affordable housing, while also promising to hand councils new powers to acquire land for homes.
Powell said: “Our country is facing a housing crisis with the link between hard work and getting on the housing ladder broken for many.”
Read Powell’s full conference speech below.
Labour is the Party of home-owners and tenants, the Tories are the Party of speculators and developers.
Labour will fix the housing crisis.
Where everyone has the right to a safe, secure, stable, warm, truly affordable home.
My speech to #Lab21https://t.co/flWAuYS0F8 pic.twitter.com/D2pc4MNROY
— Lucy Powell MP (@LucyMPowell) September 26, 2021
Lucy Powell’s full conference speech
Conference. Good afternoon. Those who know me, know I’m a proud Mancunian. Manchester is in my DNA. My experiences growing up, living and now representing Manchester have shaped my politics. The city’s been transformed over my lifetime, mainly for the better. However, some of the harsh inequalities of my youth have widened after years of Conservative rule. Nowhere more than in housing.
The semi-detached I grew up in, bought on the basic salaries of a teacher and social worker, now totally out of reach for my kids. My grandparents’ old house – Irish immigrants who took huge pride in their small garden – now in a street full of neglected buy-to-lets. The terraced houses formerly of aspiring factory workers, now over-crowded, poor quality rentals. The once derelict City Centre transformed, but the ancient laws of leasehold not working for homeowners.
Most now wait for years for a council house. I see all around me the housing crisis. Manchester Labour is rising to the challenge, albeit, with its hands tied behind its back. Their approach inspires mine. We’ve lost somewhere that housing isn’t simply an asset to be traded, but the fundamental cornerstone of a successful life. Covid came and shone a bright light on these divides too, when home had new meaning. Between those in comfortable homes and those on the streets, or in insecure, unaffordable, or overcrowded homes. We saw that housing is very much a public health issue.
Through history, after a crisis of this magnitude, we have built a better future. Homes fit for heroes after World War One. The Attlee government putting housing at the heart of post-war Britain. New settlements – needed once in every generation. Conference, that moment for us is now. It starts with understanding the roots of our current crisis.
The Conservatives see housing as a commodity: to be traded, profited from, part of an investment portfolio, a pension pot, not as the bedrock of stable lives and life chances. Their record speaks for itself: Record numbers living in insecure private rents, a huge net loss of social housing. And with over-heated prices and homeowner numbers down –they can’t even claim the mantle of homeownership anymore. The link between wages and housing costs is now broken, leaving millions exposed to the universal credit cut. And their woeful record of switching our homes to green, means we are very vulnerable to the current energy crisis.
Four years on from the tragedy at Grenfell, we’ve got a Building safety scandal – a tragic symbol of housing policy gone wrong: deregulation, no oversight, an unwillingness to intervene. Leaving hundreds of thousands of innocent leaseholders trapped in unsellable homes. The so-called party of home-ownership rings very hollow to them. But I hear we have Michael Gove coming to the rescue! Do me a favour. Ask the teachers! Less a knight in shining armour, a wrecking ball more like!
We’ve got a plan: a Building Works Agency to assess, fix and fund and then certify all tall buildings. Then pursue those responsible for costs. And we would put in law that leaseholders won’t pay. We aren’t afraid to take on the tough challenges that our new settlement demands. We will be bold, radical, forward thinking, and empowering. And conference, on housing I think we can agree – let’s move on from the false choices: A new settlement must include a massive increase in council and social homes, fit for all ages.
That means we can’t continue with the huge net loss in council houses resulting from Right to Buy and its huge discount. I see no contradiction in us also promoting home-ownership – not for more landlords or second homes, but for ordinary working people – nurses, electricians, delivery drivers and care workers – currently priced out. Their aspirations for home-ownership will be met by Labour. Central to this is bold action on restoring the link between wages and housing costs. And tackling the thorny issues of quality, affordability and security in private rentals. Ending rough sleeping. And no-fault evictions. Meeting our climate targets. Housing as a human right – all at the heart of our new settlement.
It’s not easy – but solutions are already out there. That’s why we are launching our great housing challenge: learning from Labour councils, our fantastic mayors and trailblazing Welsh government. Developing our housing plan together. A key part of this vision is building more truly affordable homes.
For too long, speculators and developers have held most of the cards – ducking minimal commitments, extracting huge value from the public for land, and doing too little for first time buyers and local people. That’s why Labour will give local authorities new powers to buy and develop land for housing, and revitalise town centres, by reforming arcane compensation rules. This could generate up to 100,000 new homes a year, much of which social and affordable.
The current definition of affordable is anything but, linked to over-heated market rates. We will set a new definition linked to local wages. We will close loopholes that let developers wriggle out of commitments. We will give first time buyers first dibs on new developments, and put an end to the outrageous practise of foreign hedge funds purchasing swathes of new homes, off plan. These reforms, a first step to put housing at the heart of the battle for Downing Street.
Labour, the party of home-owners and tenants, the Tories, the party of speculators and developers. Labour, once in a generation, fixing the housing crisis with a new settlement. Where everyone has the right to a safe, secure, stable, warm, truly affordable home. The bedrock to a successful, happy life. That time is now, and together we can rise to it. Thank you.
They need to stop their “in house” bickering and fix themselves first!
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
I guess the free broadband did not work at the last election so upped the offering.
This lot have not got a clue. I have dealt with large new build sites many times. We have never had ‘foreign buyers’ buying up all the property, this is a scare tactic usually reserved for UKIP or such.
The Torys would love to build more but green belts and the public hamper this. Unless Labour are going to compulsory purchase land and build on it I can’t see how this will happen. More fag paper economics.
plenty of affordable housing around. Just look at shared ownership.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Brexit, a bungled COVID response. public services in a shambles, tax rises, food and energy price rises and a fuel shortage.
At this rate, unless the Tories sort themselves out, we’ll end up with a Labour government whether we like it or not.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Have you thought about joining the Liberal Party!
I would have suggested Labour, but their party members wanted brexit and, for those who were about around the winter of discontent, Labour had already had success in creating “public services in a shambles, tax rises, food and energy price rises and a fuel shortage”
Joining the Liberal Party is a safe bet as one cannot, and never will, blame them for any of these things.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Good for a laugh but bearing in mind the shambles Liberals brought to the coalition table last time, only Diane Abbott for Labour leader would excel! Only trouble is hoards more Private Rented Landlords would sell up rather than remain a target for more funds – leaving the residential rented sector even worse off than it already is!
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
It was 2016 get over it move on fgs
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Labour, ‘the party of homeowners and tenants’
Labour, the opposition party for the best part of another decade, who should wipe the floor with the clowns we have in charge – yet fail every time.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
This is the same speech the last shadow housing minister gave, and the one before that and the one before that.
Labour are lost in a wilderness of their own making, at this rate it could be another 30yrs before they get back in.
After 11 years of Conservative govt and half way through a parliament the Tories should be consistently 5-10 points behind, let alone with all the issues we’re currently facing.
Labour are unconvincing as a party of Govt and haven’t got the talent to change this status quo. So they can say what they like at conference, they’re just barking in the wind.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
It shows how desperate they are when they start calling the opposition scum.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Labour – Tenant Troll alert ( with the One down-vote )
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
” Competition ” has been ‘ On ‘ for years between Tories and Labour, ;
Who can stitch-up Landlords the most to buy Tenants votes ( and the so-called party of business (sic) have been doing very well at knobling Honest, hard-working, Tax-paying Landlords to buy Free Loaders votes. !
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Maybe people should see what Labour have done in Wales with several decades of power, one of the worst housing crisis’s in the UK. Labour haven’t lost their ‘Blairite spin’.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register