New CEBR analysis for Babelfish finds 1.4m homes could be built on brownfield land, adding 0.9% to GDP a year for a decade. Half already have planning permission.
Enough is enough. Labour must rebuild the social contract
In 1945 Labour rebuilt Britain with council housing at its heart. Eighty years on, that social contract is broken. Protect renters, build homes, back workers.
In 1945, a new Labour government had to rebuild Britain from the ashes of the second world war.
That generation knew that real patriotism is about ensuring no one is left behind – and they formed a new economic settlement with affordable, council, and social housing at its heart. But when the party came into government in 2024, that social contract had long been broken. Stagnant wages, rampant insecure work, and eye-wateringly unaffordable housing had created an economy that simply didn't work for ordinary people.
Change since then hasn't come fast enough, Labour's popularity has plummeted, and Keir Starmer has paid the ultimate price. To turn things around, it's critical that the government mends the broken social contract and make sure that workers can afford a decent home.
Much of the social housing built by that 1945 generation has been sold up and must be rented from a private landlord. That leaves many low-income workers, particularly in the public sector, trapped in poor-quality housing they can barely afford.
Part of the problem is that housing policy has for too long been tilted towards landlords. The government's Renters' Rights Act has just come into force – and that will begin to restore some balance.
But there is also a chronic supply shortage of affordable housing. Time after time, construction bosses have railed against requirements to build affordable housing – or ignored them.
Labour pledged to build 1.5million homes by the end of its first term in government. However, meeting that target seems a long way off.
Enough is enough. That 1945 generation were clear that if you work hard and play by the rules, you might not get rich, but you'll have a decent life with a decent home.
We need to rebuild that social contract. Protect renters, build affordable, social, and council housing for all, and invest in a new generation of good, unionised jobs for construction workers.
That's how the government can unleash a housebuilding boom on the scale we need.
Other relevant stories
Survation polling for Babelfish finds more people back than oppose charging housebuilders council tax on consented land they haven't built on. 49% back brownfield.
New CEBR research for Babelfish: 1.4m brownfield homes would unleash £259bn and return £1.92 for every £1 spent. The big five sit on 869,000 plots instead.
Britain's big five sit on 869,000 plots worth £275bn and build slowly to keep prices high. Start the rates clock the day permission is granted.
Barratt Redrow, Taylor Wimpey, Persimmon, Vistry and Bellway hold 869,000 plots between them. Taylor Wimpey's landbank alone would take 19.5 years to build out.