Andy Burnham will distance himself from Labour’s “build, baby, build” mantra and focus on a more “collaborative” approach with housebuilders as well as a council housebuilding boom in a bid to fix Britain’s housing crisis, The i Paper understands.
Labour’s target of building 1.5 million new homes by 2029 is off target by a “country mile”, Whitehall insiders acknowledge, despite outgoing prime minister Sir Keir Starmer’s vow to take on so-called “Nimbys” and back “the builders, not the blockers” in a bid to accelerate housebuilding.
Current Housing Secretary Steve Reed coined his own “build, baby, build” slogan after being appointed last September as he insisted Labour would meet the 1.5m target – but his position could be in jeopardy after his predecessor Angela Rayner has been tipped for a return to the role.
One source told The i Paper the phrase “build, baby, build” will not be “uttered even once by the new administration”.
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