Government lays out housing plans but Burnham backtracks on social renting pledge – as it happened

The government announced an initial £10 billion allocation from the ten‑year Affordable Homes Programme to build 70,000 homes outside London, with roughly 60 % earmarked for social‑rented units. The remaining homes will be delivered through shared‑ownership schemes, sheltered housing and other models, while a further £6 billion will be set aside for London at a later stage. The plan, delivered by the Starmer administration, is intended to move the UK closer to its pledge of constructing 300,000 affordable homes over the next decade and will be funded through 33 “strategic partners” guaranteed financing for the full ten‑year period, three of which are local councils – a first for the scheme.

The rollout marks a notable retreat by Labour’s housing secretary Andy Burnham, who had previously called for the entire programme to be devoted to council‑built homes, arguing that control over social housing should remain with local authorities. Burnham’s earlier statement, made while campaigning for the Makerfield seat, demanded that the £39 billion slated for the Affordable Homes Programme be dedicated solely to council homes. Under the new framework, however, the government will deliver a mixed portfolio, with social rent still forming the majority but complemented by other subsidised tenures, thereby softening Burnham’s earlier hardline stance.

Despite the compromise, the announcement was met with mixed reactions. A housing minister dismissed claims that Burnham had broken his promises on council housing, emphasizing the commitment to the “biggest council house‑building programme since the post‑war period.” Meanwhile, political figures such as Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the prime minister’s broader agenda, linking housing policy to upcoming tax proposals, and Burnham signalled he would travel to the United States to join European leaders lobbying for Patriot missile supplies to Ukraine. The broader political context includes parallel debates on social‑housing enforcement under a Reform UK government and unrelated controversies involving MPs’ earnings from social‑media platforms, underscoring the complex environment in which the new housing plan is being rolled out.

⚡ Effects Interpreter