Labour under fire as Angela Rayner admits ‘slim chance’ of delivering 1.5m homes pledge

The Housing Secretary has admitted there is only a “slim chance” the government will meet its target of building 1.5 million homes by the next Parliament.

Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Angela Rayner blamed “headwinds”, including the war in Iran and rising construction costs, for making it increasingly difficult to deliver the pledge before the next election.

Politicians have slammed Ms Rayner’s response, accusing Labour of making a manifesto pledge to build 1.5 million homes that was “always a big fat lie”.

Always a stretched target

When asked by Ms Kuenssberg whether “there was any hope of reaching” the 1.5 million homes target, Ms Rayner claimed there is only “a slim chance”.

She told the BBC: “It’s a slim chance, but I’m definitely not giving up. It was always a stretched target and with the situation in the Middle East and building costs having gone up at the moment in the housing market.”

She added that Prime Minister Andy Burnham had pledged a council house-building revolution, with funding for social and affordable housing.

She added that home starts were up by 15% last year, and claimed this was making a difference.

Big fat lie

However, Reform UK education spokesperson Suella Braverman claimed Labour’s manifesto pledge was a “big fat lie”.

She posted on X, formerly Twitter: “First, the humiliating u-turn on her awful plans for Local Government Reorganisation earlier this week.

“Now she is forced to admit that her flagship promise of building 1.5 million homes was always a big fat lie.

“Is there anything she says that we can actually take seriously?”

Labour on course to miss housing targets

As previously reported on Property118, Labour is on course to miss housing targets without urgent action.

Analysis from planning consultancy Lanpro reveals delivery is 10% down on the ten-year average, and well below the 300,000 per year widely accepted as the minimum needed to reach Labour’s pledge.

At the current rate, only half of the promised homes are likely to be delivered.