If the Tories don’t build more houses, they can kiss the 2024 election goodbye

Let’s be clear, this will hurt at the ballot box, writes Salma Shah

If the Conservatives can’t create homeowners, they can’t win (Getty)

Everyone agrees that something needs to be done about housing in this country. However, when answers are presented, the same people roundly reject the proposed solutions. This week, the planning bill – a contentious bit of policy – had its resolve weakened by a backbench rebellion.

The government proposed setting firm house-building targets for councils to meet local need. The number would be calculated using a formula to account for growing populations and local changes, providing much-needed clarity on how to create the infrastructure required for the next generation of voters.

But possibly as many as 100 Nimby MPs have decided they’re not interested in progress and would rather rebel against sensible legislation that would help increase the supply of new homes that people are crying out for. So now the government has granted more “flexibility” in terms of how to meet that target – which sounds like code for giving in.

Let’s be clear, this will hurt at the ballot box. If the Conservatives are no longer the party of home ownership, then they can kiss goodbye to an election victory next time. How can one talk about the relative strength of capitalism when fewer people are able to access capital? How can we talk about “working hard and doing the right thing” when wage stagnation and inflated house prices mean we’ll never make the economics of a house purchase work?

Labour have cannily started to occupy this space, honing in on the uniquely enticing promise of a housing policy. At their last party conference, Keir Starmer promised to deliver 70 per cent more home ownership. But if Labour want to be the party of homeownership, they need to start by being the party of building houses and they can’t fall prey to hyper-local thinking that misses the bigger picture.

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Starmer’s promise to lend Rishi Sunak the votes to pass the housing targets was a smart political manoeuvre. It was of course going to be rejected by the prime minister, who didn’t want to look weak and upset his own backbenches by accepting. If Labour is serious about this, Keir Starmer may adopt the policy in his manifesto.

In order for the rhetoric to match reality, all MPs have to realise that whilst serving the interests of their constituents today, they are depriving others of their future. Housing is a complex issue and requires serious interventions before it is fixed in a meaningful way. It means having to lead and change public perceptions about development.

It feels like more than any other nation, we define ourselves through our respective positions in the property market. As homeowners, we worry about the value falling, or mortgages becoming a squeeze on the budget. As renters, we have fears about the security of our tenure, or whether there will ever be enough to save up for that deposit. It’s central to our being. If the Conservatives can’t create homeowners, they can’t win.

New homes are not the enemy; they are the answer.