Labour is well behind in its pledge to build 1.5m new homes but in his speech to the party’s Liverpool conference PM Andy Burnham puts housebuilding front and centre and wins praise in Liverpool city region. Tony McDonough reports
Prime Minister Andy Burnham put housebuilding and the cost of energy front of centre of his speech to the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool on Tuesday.
And his keynote speech to party members has won support here in Liverpool city region where the push to build more affordable homes is seen as a high priority. Mr Burnham’s pledge on energy reform was also welcomed.
Last week Liverpool city region Mayor Steve Rotheram secured the backing of the Combined Authority to push on with plans for a new Mayoral Development Corporation that will look to oversee the building of 17,000 homes close to Liverpool waterfront.
That will still need Government approval but it was clear from Burnham’s speech that he sees housebuilding as key to his policy agenda. This is despite the fact his party’s pledge to build 1.5m new homes during this parliament is faltering badly with fewer than 500,000 homes built so far.
He told conference that his mum and dad’s home in Merseyside “unlocked the aspiration” for his family. He pledged to restore Britain’s housing stock to “what it was”.
“We need to restore strong, democratic control over our housing stock,” he explained. “We will help councils build again and make it affordable by building on unused public land.
“We will reform Right to Buy… removing it from the new homes we are going to build so they will be there for generations to come. Restoring the public housing stock to what it once was.”
Turning to the private rented sector he announced powers for local councils to seize homes in a “poor state of repair”. Landlords who rent out “the worst quality homes” will be given warnings to improve them if they refuse.
He added: “We will give council to take control of them and bring them into the public housing stock.”
On leasehold reform, he says they will introduce a bill before Christmas for “long overdue reform”. He said: “The days of you being squeezed for every penny are coming to an end.”
The Prime Minister also promised action on rising energy costs for both domestic and business users. He announced plans for the Great British Grid, “a publicly owned company that will challenge the private sector operators”.
This, he said, would not only help push down costs, it would also allow business to get connected to the power grid much quicker. There was a resounding thumbs-up for the speech from Liverpool city region Mayor and Andy Burnham’s “mate”, Steve Rotheram.
He posted on X: “Our party is at its best when we’re bold and brave and Andy has shown the courage to set a completely new direction for the country. It’s time to draw a line under a decade of drift and division. Labour is bringing back hope again.”
However, there was mixed reaction to Mr Burnham’s speech from Liverpool city region business leaders.
Greg Johnson, chief executive of Bootle window and door maker Warwick North West, told LBN: “There isn’t one single solution to all of society’s problems but offering everyone a secure, affordable, good quality home is about as close as you will get to one.
“In the early to mid-20th century Britain cleared the Victorian slums and embarked on a mass housebuilding programme.
“It is now 2026 and we once again have a crisis on the supply and affordability of energy efficient homes. We obviously need to see the policy detail but Andy Burnham’s passionate advocacy for affordable homes for all is to be welcomed.
“This Government promised 1.5m new homes during this parliament. That target now looks unlikely to be reached but I’m encouraged by Andy’s determination to put housing right at the top of the Government’s agenda.”
And Greg also welcomed Burnham’s pledge on energy reform, adding: “The eye-watering cost of energy is really holding this country back. Not only are too many people in fuel poverty but too many businesses are unable to prosper.
“I run a manufacturing business and the price of energy has become a major headache. Affordable energy fuels growth and I hope Andy’s national energy plan will succeed in at least slowing the rise in both domestic and industrial energy prices.”
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner’s comments this week about accelerating devolution and using it as a mechanism for “rewiring the state” also found favour with Greg.
“People on the ground here in Liverpool city region are best placed to identify our priorities, particularly on issues such as housing. The more freedom we have to make our decisions the quicker we can get to work on transforming our local economy.”
Dave Bracegirdle, construction director at Liverpool building firm Frank Rogers, gave a more cautious welcome to Andy Burnham’s pledge on housing.
“That original target of 1.5m new homes during the parliament is well behind schedule – fewer than half a million have been delivered so far. Can we trust Andy Burnham to get that process accelerated again? I hope so.
“However, we know from speaking to our customers that the cost of development has never been higher. Look at the number of documents a developer has to submit just to get a planning application over the line.
“The number of SME housebuilders has fallen from more than 12,000 in the 1980s to around 2,500 today. The risks that come with developing and building are so high that only those with the deepest pockets can afford to do so. If we make development more straightforward then we could see a new building boom.”
Dave was also encouraged by the speech given by Chancellor John Healey at conference earlier this week, particularly the plan to expand the Local Apprenticeships Service for mayors in England, which he said would deliver thousands more apprenticeships for young people.
“We talk about recruitment and skills a lot here at Frank Rogers. We desperately need a pipeline of skilled people and we need to be encouraging the next generation of young people to consider careers in construction. The industry is chronically short of skilled workers.”
Gregory Abrams, chief executive of Liverpool law firm GAD Solicitors, is eager to see more detail on Andy Burnham’s plans to give councils the power to take control of empty homes, and “bring them back into public housing stock”.
“I’ll be honest, I get slightly alarmed when I see plans for the Government to start seizing peoples’ property.” he said.
“Andy Burnham says he will target landlords who rent out the “worst quality homes”. What does that mean in practice?
“We have landlords in our client base and many of them are struggling with rising costs and the extra burdens created by the Renters’ Rights Act. These are entrepreneurs dealing with a challenging climate.
“We all want quality affordable homes for people but we need to be wary of policies that could scare investors away from the private rented sector.”
GAD recently highlighted buoyancy in the Liverpool housing market, attributing much of this strength to relative affordability compared with other regions of the UK.
Gregory welcomed the latest support for first-time homebuyers in England, saying: “We welcome the updates to the Your First Home scheme.
“Clearer guidance and continued support for first-time buyers is important if we are to build on Liverpool’s position and sustain the momentum we are seeing in the local housing market,” he said.
READ MORE: Major upgrade for Liverpool office building
READ MORE: Ryanair slams Liverpool’s ‘double tax’ whammy
Liverpool Chamber of Commerce chief executive Paul Cherpeau welcomed the “intention for fiscal responsibility” and “the ambition to create a longer term plan for investment in education, housing and energy infrastructure”.
He added: “Further devolution can certainly help to create more informed delivery and generate meaningful investment and growth in Liverpool city region.
“The Prime Minister mentioned supporting businesses to employ more young people, but we are eager to hear more detail about what this means.
“Employing people and running a business has simply become too expensive and Government action is needed to urgently address that.”