The road that has taken Britain into a housing crisis is paved with broken promises. Governments have pledged action, set targets and talked about new towns, building on brownfield sites, local partnerships, devolution and similar well-intentioned policies. Yet the deficit in available homes – the number that should have been constructed in recent decades for present supply to match demand – is routinely estimated at more than 4m.
Even if the Conservatives had stuck to their manifesto goal of 300,000 new homes a year, the mission would not be accomplished before 2070. But Rishi Sunak, in an act of typical political cowardice, scrapped the target in deference to backbench Tory MPs, who put the interests of homeowning constituents over the hopes of prospective future constituents who might need somewhere to live.
