Britain is in the grip of such a severe housing shortage that since the Conservatives took office in 2010 it is increasingly called a crisis. The public has given one of the largest majorities in a century to a party that has promised to fix it.
That majority gives Labour the ability and the moral duty to deliver, with radical reforms giving more power to communities and ensuring that enough good, affordable homes get built. If we do, we will not only relieve the crushing burden of housing costs that young families face in this country, but also unleash the sort of economic growth the UK hasn’t enjoyed since the last Labour government.
Between 2010 and 2024, the average house price in London rose from 12.2 to 17.4 times average earnings. Waiting lists for council housing have skyrocketed and many renters are struggling to afford a decent place to live. And yet, my predecessor as MP for Chipping Barnet recently admitted to knowing no one affected by the housing crisis. A somewhat unbelievable claim given how many young adults in my constituency are still living at home with their parents struggling to save to buy, or shovelling half of their income over to a private landlord each month.
On 4 July – Independence Day from 14 years of Tory rule – the public entrusted Labour with a majority of 174, the second largest since 1945. That majority gives Keir Starmer a clear mandate to be bold in making good our commitments to address the crisis.
I grew up on free school meals and was homeless for a time as a child. I know the critical importance of social housing for families in need. But 1.3 million people across the country are now on waiting lists. We have promised to ensure we are building more high-quality, well-designed, and sustainable homes. We have also promised to work with local authorities to give first-time buyers the first chance to buy homes before international investors. We have promised to support social landlords with building more homes. We have promised New Towns. We have promised bold reforms to our planning system.
Some have said that Labour’s deep in-roads into Conservative suburban and rural Britain mean that newly-elected MPs will baulk at the prospect of planning reform. These doomsters couldn’t be more wrong. I and my new colleagues are in politics to fix problems, not to shy away from them. This new generation of MPs hasn’t just read about the housing crisis in newspapers, it has lived it.
You don’t need to tell me about the toll that living in emergency and temporary accommodation places on families – I’ve been through that as a child. Or that the most common living arrangement today for people in their early 30s is living with their parents – that was me until last year as I saved for a deposit in London via living with my in-laws.
No longer will our Parliament be packed full of landlords, but instead it will reflect the voting coalition that propelled Keir into Downing Street. Youthful. Hopeful. Eager for change. The backbenchers just elected won’t be the blockers, we’ll back Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves and Angela Rayner as they seek to get Britain building again. Let’s get to it.
Dan Tomlinson is the newly-elected Labour MP for Chipping Barnet. Follow him on X/Twitter. OnLondon.co.uk provides unique coverage of the capital’s politics, development and culture. Support it for just £5 a month or £50 a year and get things for your money too. Details HERE. Threads: DaveHillOnLondon. X/Twitter: On London and Dave Hill. Image: New housing in Chipping Barnet from Home Builders Federation.