The Week in Housing: Starmer sparkles but can he take on the nimbys?

Good afternoon.

It’s been a week dominated by how senior figures within the Labour Party understand the housing crisis and what they plan to do about it.

First, the party leader. Sir Keir Starmer has since described the rogue protester who covered him in glitter during his crucial conference speech as an “idiot”, but it was a moment he handled well.

It gave the Labour leader a sparkle as he dusted himself down, his jacket off and sleeves rolled up, before launching into an hour-long speech that pledged to deliver a package of reforms to transform the planning system – and deliver 1.5 million homes over the next parliament.

In a series of broadcast interviews, Sir Keir also declared himself a ‘yimby’. That is despite, as?Politico pointed out, having blocked planning proposals himself in the past.

But that was then. Now his ambition is to build four new towns. He admitted that this might involve ignoring planning objections to new builds, and getting “tough” on anyone who stands in his way.

A message for his own MPs as much as anyone else.

Sir Keir’s new-found sparkle has been commemorated by the Labour Party with the release of a limited edition T-shirt that reads “Sparkle with Starmer”.?

Personally, I’d prefer “Tough on green belt, tough on the causes of green belt” (it grew in size in 2022-23 for the second year in a row).

Not to be outdone, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves outlined her plans for taking on the “antiquated planning system” with reforms to accelerate the building of energy, transport and housing infrastructure.

It’s clear that the party also puts some blame on developers for shirking their affordable housing commitments.

Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the party, promised that Labour will deliver the housebuilding boost by preventing developers from “wriggling out of their responsibilities” to help speed up new social and affordable housing.

Capping off our conference coverage for this week, Inside Housing caught the shadow housing conference in a corridor on the second floor of ACC Liverpool.

We spoke to Matthew Pennycook about Build Social, our?new campaign calling for the main political parties to commit to building large numbers of homes for social rent – including 90,000 a year in England, or 900,000 over 10 years.

Spoiler alert. He supports the aspiration, and you can read the full interview here .

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