Labour have very little to offer on this vital question, but that matters little when the Conservatives have consistently failed to deliver an effective and sustained increase in housing supply.
Ill-conceived policies, such as the new legal maxima on window sizes, alienate voters and make the challenge of addressing this urgent public health concern that much more difficult. There are much easer and more effective solutions.
Meaningful fiscal devolution within England would face huge opposition from Labour councils; anything else would not give town halls the incentive to undertake difficult reforms.
To their credit, ministers are trying to make some changes that will speed up the process. But there are fundamental changes needed, such as fixing environmental impact assessments.
The Opposition currently talks a big game on devolution and planning reform. But for their actions to meet the scale of the challenge, the prize, and their own rhetoric, they will need a new approach.
A simple change in the Finance Bill could extend our world-leading pro-investment regime for plant and machinery to investment in new brownfield housing, and spur development in many sites currently sitting idle.
Home ownership is a fundamental cornerstone of conservatism, and everyone must be given the opportunity to reach this life milestone through hard work and determination.
Kensington and Chelsea already has exceptionally high density. But we are embracing creative solutions to increase supply while retaining or enhancing the beauty of our borough.
The capital’s post-war estates were built at densities far lower than many of London’s best-loved historic neighbourhoods, such as Marylebone. Industrial land is being protected. The Park Royal Industrial Area in Acton alone could deliver 135,000 new homes.
There is some truth to the claim that there has been a big shift in power away from Parliament and a narrowing of politics – but in the British constitution, a government with a majority could fix that.
The time we added the most homes was in the 1920s and 1930s, when we built at a higher rate than household formation – and prices and rents barely moved.
Often children in mainstream education are deemed to require highly expensive institutional care. Leicestershire spent £732,502 for just one such child last year. Barnet £716,318, Doncaster £677,857, Hampshire £671,594 and Cornwall £629,200.
Councils speak in public sector jargon whereas the public simply does not. Leaving a vacuum leaves a gap for misinformation.
According to YouGov, the Party commands a plurality of voters only among the over 70s. As far as voting intention is concerned, the Conservative Party is literally dying on its feet.
This has become an increasingly important issue for voters – especially swing voters and for none more so than the young, amongst whom housing now competes with the economy as one of the single most important issues.