The party has promised to 'bulldoze' its way to building 1.5m homes if it wins the next general election. But in some parts of Greater Manchester, campaigners won't be shouting about it
It was a recurring theme at the Labour Party's conference last week. Deputy leader and Ashton-under-Lyne MP Angela Rayner, who grew up in a council house in Stockport, announced the 'biggest boost in affordable and social housing for a generation' in the first major speech of the four-day event in Liverpool - which is likely to be the party's last conference before the next general election.
The opposition party also promised to build the next generation of 'new towns' and help first-time buyers onto the housing ladder with a new mortgage guarantee scheme and 'first dibs' on newly-built homes. Critics say the specific policies proposed are not as 'ambitious' as they sound, but the announcement was roundly applauded by party members at the conference in Liverpool.
The final stage of public consultation on the joint development plan got underway last week after facing nearly a decade of delays, including Stockport council pulling out in 2020, which left the other nine boroughs in Greater Manchester to come up with a new one. But campaigners are calling on the government to step in to save the more than 2,000 hectares of green belt which would be lost.
'A demographic divide' Local Labour campaigners are doubtful that the party's ramped up rhetoric on housebuilding will mean they lose voters at the next general election. However, they admit the party's housing policy could be weaponised by the Tories in some greener constituencies. Before 2019, Bolton West was considered a bellwether seat where the MP elected often represented the winning party.
"There's a clear policy difference," according to Manchester councillor Gavin White. "Rishi Sunak didn't mention housing in his speech. Labour has promised to 'fast track' building on brownfield sites which often require more money to be developed due to 'contamination' caused by previous uses of the land. The current government has provided millions of pounds in brownfield funding.
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