Labour is more interested in “pleasing property developers” than helping Londoners onto the housing ladder, the leader of the Green Party has claimed as he launched his local election campaign in the capital.
Zack Polanski on Thursday accused Labour ministers of having a “cozy” relationship with lobbyists and property developers that has resulted in too many “luxury” flats with sky-high service charges for leaseholders being built over social and affordable housing.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed hit back, accusing the Green leader of being “incredibly hypocritical”.
Mr Polanski said: “Labour is failing and is not on track to deliver the social and affordable housing it pledged.
“It has U-turned on its promise to scrap the ‘feudal’ leasehold system because it’s more interested in pleasing property developers than freeing five million people from the financial burden of service charges.
“Labour Housing Secretary Steve Reed recently hosted an exclusive dinner with housing developers who paid £2,000 per person to attend.
“Given the cozy relationship Labour has with lobbyists, no wonder they always seem to prioritise maximising corporate profits by building unaffordable ‘luxury’ properties, instead of the social and affordable housing we need.”
Mr Reed claimed Green Party councillors had blocked 42,000 new homes being built across Britain.
He told the Standard: “This Labour government has put £39 billion as a pot of money to build the biggest increase in social and affordable housing we have seen in this country in a generation. That is massive, it is going to make such as change.
“And what are they Greens doing? They’ve so far opposed and blocked 42,000 new homes from being built, 13,000 of those were social and affordable housing.”
Mr Polanski said the 42,000 figure was “nonsense”.
New home starts in London have slumped 30%, according to figures released in January.
They showed there were an estimated 4,220 new home starts in the capital in the year to September 2025, down from 6,000 in the previous 12 months.
The number of new home completions fell 15% from 18,720 to 15,920 over the same period.
The Greens are hoping to take make significant gains accross London at the expense of Labour during the local elections.
Labour runs 21 of London’s 32 boroughs, but the party is facing a threat from the Greens on the left and Reform UK on the right.
A recent bombshell poll predicted the reshaping of London’s political map at the vote on May 7, suggesting Labour could be almost wiped out in the city, losing all but two of its councils.
Modelling, from data firm Bombe, forecast that the Green Party could seize control of nine local authorities - Hackney, Lambeth, Lewisham, Wandsworth, Hammersmith and Fulham, Greenwich, Brent, Hounslow and Waltham Forest.
Mr Polanski predicted “record-breaking” results.
He said: "In 2023 we had record-breaking results as a Green Party.
“We got over 241 new councillors. Now, 2023 was an election where double the number of seats were in play than there are at this election.
"Nevertheless, I am confident, but not complacent, in this election we are going to beat 241 councillors and we are heading for a new record-breaking result for the Green Party."
