This year sees the 80th anniversary of the election of the post war Labour government. The General Election took place on July 5th. The result was announced on July 26th owing to the counting of the votes of troops abroad. Despite dire economic circumstances, far worse than we face today, the government set up the … Continue reading “The speculative builder is an unplannable instrument” – lessons from the Attlee government, Part 1
Category: Council House building
Rachel Reeves’ CLP calls for 100,000 council homes year and affiliates to the Labour Campaign for Council Housing
Leeds West and Pudsey Constituency Labour Party, for which Rachel Reeves is the MP, has passed a motion calling for, amongst other things, 100,000 council homes a year and ending Right to Buy. It agreed to affiliate to our campaign; the second Leeds CLP to do so. The passing of the resolution reflects the widespread … Continue reading Rachel Reeves’ CLP calls for 100,000 council homes year and affiliates to the Labour Campaign for Council Housing
Background to the Labour Campaign for Council Housing
These are the notes of a speech by Carol Hayton, founding member of the Labour Campaign for Council Housing, given to Witney CLP. Formed in 2019 by a group of Labour members who were concerned about the housing crisis and the lack of political will, on the part of successive governments, to take any meaningful … Continue reading Background to the Labour Campaign for Council Housing
Do we really want more “poor quality/slum housing”?
The government should end conversions without planning permission Early in 2024 Labour opposed the extension of Permitted Development Rights on the basis that it would “add to the quantum of poor-quality/slum housing that post-2013 PDR expansion has created”. Yet the new government has refused to bin this planning deregulation. It says it will “keep it … Continue reading Do we really want more “poor quality/slum housing”?
Time to end the charade of “affordable housing”
In a letter to the Chair of Homes England, Matthew Pennycook, Minister of State (Housing, Communities & Local Government) has outlined the government's “immediate priorities”. One of them is for Homes England to maximise the number of social rent homes “delivered through the allocation of remaining Affordable Homes Programme funding”. However, the letter gives no … Continue reading Time to end the charade of “affordable housing”
Social rent council homes the key to resolving the housing crisis
A survey of councils by Inside Housing to find the biggest 50 council builders shows some telling statistics. 305 councils across England, Wales and Scotland responded to our survey. Between them they completed 10,794 homes in 2023/24. This is a combined total of direct building in the Housing Revenue Account and private council owned companies. … Continue reading Social rent council homes the key to resolving the housing crisis
Council Housing Pledge
Media Release June 20th 2024 The Labour Campaign for Council Housing is asking Labour Parliamentary candidates to sign our Council Housing Pledge. It focuses on the government action required to produce a renaissance of council housing, without which there can be no resolution of the housing crisis. It calls for a Labour government to commit … Continue reading Council Housing Pledge
Zoom meeting: the financial crisis of local government and its impact on housing
The financial crisis of local authorities is spiralling out of control. Councils are running out of money as a result of the loss of grant from central government, increasing demand for services, high inflation, and the increasing cost of paying for temporary accommodation because of rising homelessness. A recent emergency meeting organised by Eastbourne council, the District … Continue reading Zoom meeting: the financial crisis of local government and its impact on housing
The financial crisis of local government and the housing crisis
"Labour council groups, CLPs and affiliated unions need to raise the alarm and demand that Labour commits to increased funding, both for local government services and for council housing." Will a Labour government come to the rescue of local government? What is it proposing to do to stop the collapse of local authorities and to … Continue reading The financial crisis of local government and the housing crisis
Section 106 agreements will not fund building on the scale we need
Increased central government grant for council housing is necessary and possible "The 100,000 social rent homes a year, and more, that are needed to liberate a new generation from the private rented sector, will not be built without central government grant." Keir Starmer has said that Labour will build 1.5 million homes over five years; … Continue reading Section 106 agreements will not fund building on the scale we need
Labour Campaign for Council Housing 