Labour leader vows to make home ownership a 'privilege for the many'

Home ownership has become a “luxury for the few rather than a privilege for the many”, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has claimed.

Sir Keir attempted to position Labour as the party of home ownership at its annual conference in Liverpool ahed of next year’s General Election.

He warned that the “dream of home ownership will become out of reach and more distant if action isn’t taken.

He pledged to get Britain building again, promising 1.5m new homes over five years, new towns, buildng on brownfeld sites, plus added infrastructure, roads, tunnels and power stations.

Sir Keir said action would be taken on landbanking and making sure councils develop local plans in the face of opposition, while also protecting the green belt.

The main policy appears to be giving local first-time buyers first refusal on new homes.

He said: “A future must be built. That is the responsibility of a serious Government. If we continuously wash our hands of the task then we all end up in a rut.”

It comes after Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves promised to reform Stamp Duty and Britain’s planning system earlier in the conference.

Commenting on the speeches, Nathan Emerson, chief executive at Propertymark, said: “Propertymark encourages the future UK Government to increase development on brownfield land within city and town centres, especially where there is already a high demand for housing. 

“Therefore, Propertymark welcomes Labour’s commitment to build more homes on brownfield sites, and we urge them to clarify how they will meet this ambition. It is the key to constructing the housing infrastructure this country desperately needs.”