Housing was the ‘heart and soul’ of Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s impassioned – and at times emotional – speech at the Labour conference in Liverpool this week.
In his debut conference speech as party leader and Prime Minister, he spoke about his pledge – under the stewardship of housing secretary Angela Rayner – to deliver the biggest council housebuilding programme since the post war years.
Alongside that, he reiterated his commitment to help first time buyers, tackle homelessness, improve the quality of homes, introduce a national care service, deal with the water industry, and so much more. The speech may have been light on policy details, but it was nonetheless packed to the gills with promise for change.
In a sense, this was a populist performance, of the kind that has become all too familiar from politicians in recent years, but this was a populism that flipped the message and the tone.
From a sour note of blame and division that punches down, to one that seeks inclusion and togetherness, Burnham was making a play for our better natures to come to the fore; from despair and distrust, to one of hope and cooperation.
“I am specific about council homes because we need to restore stronger democratic control over our housing stock,” Burnham said.
“We will help councils build again and make it affordable by building on unused public land. We will reform Right to Buy. Not taking the right away from anyone in an existing home. But removing it from the new homes we build so they are there for generations to come.”
The speech also set out stronger council powers to take over empty homes and rent them to families at low cost, and to compulsorily purchase properties that fall below acceptable standards, including where landlords have refused to make improvements.
On the private rented sector, Burnham said: “The worst of it? Often owned by absent landlords who are paid through the benefits system but refuse to reinvest anything in the upkeep of the property.
“It is time to call an end to this. Landlords who rent out the worst quality homes will be given warnings to improve them. If they refuse, we will make it much easier for councils to acquire those homes and we will legislate if necessary.”
Idealism in politics is no bad thing, one that has perhaps been all-too sorely missed (or perhaps misplaced) in recent years, but it’s true to say that it represents the easy part. Somehow, Burnham and his ministerial team must translate the promise into meaningful action; that won’t be so easy.
For its part, however, the Prime Minister’s broad message received a warm response from the North’s housing sector.
Positive announcements
Northern Housing Consortium (NHC) chief executive Tracy Harrison said: “The social housing sector in the North stands ready to make the prime minister’s vision a reality. We are well placed to build on the devolution agenda with established Mayoral Strategic Authorities and Housing Partnerships bringing together councils and housing associations with the mayors’ teams to deliver more homes, better places, and unlock jobs and better health through working together.
“There have been some positive announcements this week on supporting first-time buyers, bringing empty homes back into use and improving high streets. But to fully capitalise on this ambition in the North, regeneration funding, alongside funding for building new social homes, is needed to revitalise communities and address homes that no longer meet the needs of local people.”
Harrison added: “Whilst we do need councils building more homes, housing associations already have much of the infrastructure needed to quickly get to work building new homes and improving or replacing existing homes, bringing immediate benefits to communities.
“I would urge the government to work with housing associations, alongside councils, to unlock this capacity. The well-established relationships and track record of partnership working in the North means we’re ready to deliver.”
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) welcomed the focus on housing and regeneration, but urged ministers to back the announcements with a clear delivery plan in the Autumn Budget. It said support for first-time buyers should extend beyond the new-build sector and backed faster grid connections for new homes, coordinated with local housing plans.
RICS chief executive Justin Young said: “It is encouraging to see so much focus on the built environment and housing in the prime minister’s conference speech at a crucial time for the sector. Helping buyers overcome the deposit barrier is welcome, but this must be matched with more available housing so that prices are not pushed further out of reach. The government demonstrated that it understands this by announcing policies to bring empty homes back into use, alongside sustained investment in new social and affordable housing.”
Stand and deliver
Stephen Teagle, chief executive of partnerships and regeneration at Vistry Group, said: “We welcome the commitment by the prime minister to progress with the biggest expansion of council housing since 1945 and we stand ready to assist in the delivery of that.
“Vistry has a long and established track record of working with local authorities of all political colours across England to deliver new homes of all tenures, provide skills and training opportunities for local people, and create new high-quality transformational places with new shops, public spaces, and a range of amenities for new and existing residents alike.
“Not only has this enabled councils to deliver new homes across a variety of tenures through joint ventures, it has also enabled them to invest the subsequent development uplift into service delivery and improvement. This is a model which Vistry is proud to have developed and refined, and is one which is ideally placed to assist local authorities in delivering new council homes across a range of affordable tenures and investing in our communities.”
Propertymark called for proportionate measures on poorly maintained rental properties. Timothy Douglas, its head of policy and campaigns, said: “Every case will have different circumstances, so any proposals must be proportionate and recognise the individual circumstances of the property and those living in it.
“Further clarity is needed on how the proposals would work in practice, including carrying out remedial work with a tenant in situ, the responsibilities of different parties, and how properties would be managed if they passed into local authority control or ownership.
“With the new ‘Register Your Rental Property Service’ being implemented for landlords from December, councils will have greater access to information to support targeted, intelligence-led enforcement. The focus should be on making better use of existing tools rather than simply adding another layer of legislation and potentially damaging relationships between good landlords and government. Any new proposals should deliver a fair, proportionate and tailored approach that achieves sustainable, long-term outcomes.”
Social care
On the social care elements of the speech, Councillor Eamonn O’Brien, chair of the Local Government Association (LGA), welcomed the prime minister putting adult social care at the heart of the government’s plans.
He said: “A National Care Service should help make care fairer and more consistent across the country. But it must build on, rather than replace, local democratic leadership. Councils know their communities and bring together social care with housing, public health and the wider support that helps people stay well and independent. Getting reform right could therefore improve not just social care, but the wider services and communities on which all of us depend.”
Dr Jane Townson OBE, chief executive of the Homecare Association, said the organisation supported the direction of travel, but warned on funding: “The prime minister has promised that the National Care Service will be fully funded. That must mean funding the real cost of good care, including fair pay, travel time, training, supervision and sustainable provision, rather than transferring the cost from individuals to an underfunded commissioning system.”
Nick Sanderson, founder of Audley Villages, said: “A state-funded social care system is a mighty ambition, but it can’t exist in a vacuum. It must be part of a truly joined-up response to our ageing population. At the moment, the prime minister’s plans miss a crucial link.
“Supporting first-time buyers is important, but government policy consistently ignores the other end of the housing market. Andy Burnham is right when he says care must start at home. To do this, we need dedicated housing options for people as they get older so they can live in homes that truly suit their needs.
“The positive ripple effect would be great – promoting independence, relieving pressure on a social care system that is readying for reform, and unlocking desperately needed housing stock.”
Main image: Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool. Image courtesy of the Labour Party
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