Angela Rayner has been dealt a blow after a leading industry figure described Labour’s flagship housing pledge as unworkable.
David Thomas, chief executive of Barratt Redrow, the UK’s largest housebuilding firm, declared that Government’s target of building 1.5 million homes during this parliament is impossible due to a severe shortage of skilled workers in the construction sector.
Asked whether the industry has the capacity to meet the promise set out by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and in particular by his deputy, Ms Rayner, he said: “The short answer is no.”
The scale of Labour’s ambition would require radical reform of the housing sector, Mr Thomas stressed.
He told the BBC: “The government would have to revolutionise the market, revolutionise planning, revolutionise methods of production.”
Britain’s housing crisis was a “national crisis” in need of urgent attention, Mr Thomas stressed.
Ms Rayner has previously championed Labour’s housing commitment, saying the government would “tear through red tape” to deliver much-needed homes for families across the country.
Sir Keir Starmer, too, has tied his credibility to the pledge, insisting just last week that his administration would “absolutely” press ahead with the target despite regulatory challenges.
Speaking during a recent visit to a construction site in Cambridge, Sir Keir said: “Of course we want to get the balance right with nature and the environment.
“But if it comes to a human being wanting to have a house for them and their family, that has to be the top priority.”
The Home Builders Federation (HBF) echoed Mr Thomas’s concerns, pointing to long-standing recruitment issues in the construction industry, exacerbated by Brexit and an ageing workforce.
In a statement to the BBC, the HBF warned that the UK lacks a sufficient pipeline of skilled workers to meet Labour’s target.
The group highlighted low levels of apprenticeship training, a poor perception of careers in construction, and the financial burden of taking on apprentices as significant obstacles to bolstering the workforce.
The HBF also revealed that a quarter of tradespeople are aged over 50, and the sector has failed to attract enough new recruits to replace retirees.
Labour has acknowledged the challenges but maintains that reforms to planning rules and investment in local councils will enable the government to accelerate the pace of development.
The updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), central to Labour’s strategy, commits to a “brownfield first” policy, prioritising previously developed sites for housing projects.
Developers applying to build on these sites will receive an automatic “yes” from planning authorities. However, Labour has admitted that brownfield sites alone will not be enough to meet the demand for new homes.
Under the new framework, local councils will be instructed to review their greenbelt boundaries and identify low-quality “grey belt” land that could be repurposed for housing.
This marks a shift in policy, as “grey belt” land has now been defined for the first time as areas within the greenbelt that do not strongly contribute to its primary purposes, such as preventing urban sprawl or preserving historic towns.
The reforms also include £100 million in additional funding for local councils and 300 new planning officers to speed up housing and infrastructure projects.
Despite these measures, the construction industry remains unconvinced that Labour can overcome the deep structural problems in time to meet its ambitious targets.
Critics have pointed out that planning reforms will take years to bear fruit, and without an immediate influx of skilled workers, progress will be slow.
Mr Thomas’s remarks will come as a personal blow to Ms Rayner, who has made Labour’s housing agenda a cornerstone of her role.
This controversy is the latest challenge for Labour’s leadership, which is under pressure to prove it can deliver on its ambitious promises.
