Andy Burnham has officially entered Number 10 as the new prime minister and leader of the Labour Party, following the resignation of Sir Keir Starmer.
Addressing the media with his first speech as prime minister, Burnham committed to ending rough sleeping, and said that it would be the first order he gives to his government.
In June, Burnham announced that he would kick-start the “biggest council housebuilding programme since the post-war period”, saying that the country had lost 1.5 million council houses since the 1980s. Burnham said that the programme would be a priority for his proposed “Number 10 North”.
Burnham sets out plans for “biggest council housebuilding programme since the post-war period”
The new PM also promised to set out a new 10-year plan, and how it will be paid for, which is expected to be announced later this week, along with much-awaited news on who will make up Burnham’s cabinet.
Here’s how the new prime minister has been welcomed by the housebuilding industry:
Brendan Geraghty, chief executive of the Association for Rental Living, said: “The ARL welcomes Andy Burnham as the leader of the Labour Party and prime minister of the UK. As the representative body for the institutionally backed, professionally managed rental living sector including Build to Rent, the ARL welcomes the prime minister’s belief that “everything starts with a good home”, an approach that recognises the critical importance of housing to the economic and social fabric of the nation, something that we have long called for.”
“The Build-to-Rent sector has demonstrated over the last decade that institutional rental housing can deliver additional good homes, at scale and at pace, and is perfectly placed to offer hundreds of thousands more new homes, together with accountable standards, resident trust, public value and investable delivery capacity, in partnership with local authorities and the National Housing Bank.”
“We support policies, together with the pledged stability of politics, that enable the delivery of new homes of all tenures and call upon the prime minister to pull the BtR lever to realise the potential of institutional rental housing in addressing the housing crisis this nation faces, once and for all.”
Vanessa Hale, chief executive of Real Estate:UK, said: “The new PM has waited a long time for this role and we wish him well. Bringing forward the new housing and modern workplaces this country needs also takes a long time – too long. Mr Burnham will know from his time in charge of Manchester that creating a positive climate for investment results in more development, economic growth and jobs. We can’t wait to work with his administration to spread Manchester’s success to the rest of the country.”
Dee Parsons, CEO of Better Green Living, commented: “The construction industry continues to demonstrate resilience despite ongoing economic uncertainty, evolving regulation and persistent pressures across the sector. Businesses are balancing rising costs, skills shortages, and environmental concerns, all while delivering the places, infrastructure and housing that our communities rely on.”
“What the industry needs now from Burnham is confidence, underpinned by clear, long-term policy that enables businesses to invest in people, innovation and sustainable growth. Strengthening apprenticeships, technical education and workforce development will be fundamental to ensuring we have the skills required to meet the demands of the future.”
“The built environment has a vital role to play in driving economic growth, protecting our existing building stock and creating lasting value for future generations. By providing stability and a clear direction of travel, the new Labour leader has the opportunity to unlock investment across the sector and empower businesses to deliver long-term impact for the UK.”
Nick Leeming, chairman of Jackson-Stops, commented: “Andy Burnham takes office having placed housing firmly at the top of his agenda. Building more homes is essential, but the health of the market also depends on helping existing homes circulate more freely, so that more people can make the move that is right for them.”
“Our latest research suggests that removing stamp duty costs could bring more than 300,000 owner-occupied homes onto the market across England within less than a year. At the same time, 42% of those whose moving plans have been delayed cited economic uncertainty as a reason.”
“The new government therefore has an opportunity to restore confidence in the market by combining a clear commitment to housebuilding with stable economic management and a serious review of the upfront costs that continue to hold back buyers and sellers. If that can be achieved, we should see momentum return, more transactions progress and more people able to move when the time is right for them.”
Paul Rickard, chief executive of Pocket Living, said: “In Andy Burnham we have a prime minister who has placed housing at the very heart of his domestic agenda and it is vital that his new administration not only continues with the planning reform agenda of the previous one, but seriously gets to grips with the viability challenge currently strangling the housebuilding sector across the UK.”
“As part of that, it is imperative that his new ministers also seek to integrate housing delivery with Andy Burnham’s wider industrial policies, including defence and life sciences, to provide a supporting housing offer that creates the foundations for these key sectors. In the remaining time before the next general election, we would urge the new prime minister to be beyond bold on tackling some of the barriers to delivery, as well as focus on how the UK can continue to attract investment into the delivery of new housing of all tenures, including local authority housing delivery in partnership with the private sector.”
