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Corbyn promises ‘largest council housebuilding programme for a generation’
Jeremy Corbyn has promised that a Labour government would start “the largest council housebuilding programme in a generation” as an election looms.
The party leader was delivering his conference speech a day earlier than scheduled following the Supreme Court’s ruling that Boris Johnson’s suspension of parliament was unlawful.
Mr Corbyn said the “crisis can only be settled with a general election”.
Amid a 45-minute address, he said: “Labour will stand up for tenants, for underpaid workers and for all those struggling to make ends meet.
“We’ll start the largest council housebuilding programme in a generation.
“Because Labour puts people before privilege. We will end austerity and help rebuild your community.”
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The party’s 2017 election manifesto also included a pledge to “begin the biggest council building programme for at least 30 years”.
Mr Corbyn’s comments came ahead of a conference vote on a motion calling on the party to pledge “at least £10bn a year for housing grant, ringfenced for delivering 100,000 social rented council homes to be announced at the first Budget”.
Speaking to Inside Housing following the vote, John Healey, shadow housing secretary, said that when in government grant would “rapidly ramp up”, starting at £4bn a year.
Rumours that Mr Corbyn would announce the party’s intention to abolish Universal Credit at the conference were not realised.
Lauding community leaders near the speech’s conclusion, he said: “I’m thinking, for example, recently of a mother I met who campaigned on behalf of the residents in her block of flats to make the landlord remove the damp. She was a leader, she is a leader.”
