Housing is always centre stage in British politics, usually in the form of support for first-time buyers, like right to buy. But Keir Starmer is making housebuilding a key pre-election dividing line, attacking Rishi Sunak for scrapping the government’s 300,000 homes a year target for England and, more boldly, recognising that some development on green belt land will be required.
The Labour leader is up for a row that brings to life his promises to raise growth and home ownership, while highlighting Conservative divisions. Those divisions reflect housebuilding’s most discussed political faultline: Lib Dems scenting blood in Tory shire marginals whenever a single brick is laid.
