Andy Burnham, the newly elected MP for Makerfield and the leading candidate to become the next Labour Prime Minister, is considering sweeping changes to the housing sector to tackle the rising cost of living. Following Sir Keir Starmer’s recent resignation, Burnham faces mounting pressure to adopt bold economic policies—chief among them, introducing emergency rent controls and substantially increasing social housing supply.
A spokesperson for Burnham confirmed his commitment to providing families “the breathing space they need by tackling rising costs.” Central to his vision is an emergency brake on landlords from hiking rents, aligned with an ambitious plan to build and acquire more social homes.
Unlike the current focus on “affordable housing,” Burnham champions a large-scale revival of council housing. He proposes investing £40 billion to fund the construction of new council homes nationwide, describing it as the most significant state housing intervention since the 1970s. This plan also includes suspending the Right to Buy scheme on newly built council properties in areas grappling with acute housing shortages.
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Landlord Zone has previously expressed concern over parts of Burnham’s wider housing agenda, such as granting councils stronger powers to compulsorily purchase poor-quality private rented properties. These measures reflect Burnham’s broader efforts to increase social housing and improve rental standards.
Housing experts Bishop and Sewell highlight Burnham’s longstanding commitment to housing reform. They note his tenure as Manchester Mayor saw several impactful policies, signaling that a Labour government under his leadership would likely prioritize housing reform on an unprecedented scale.
As Burnham prepares to potentially lead the country, landlords, renters, and industry stakeholders brace for transformative policies aimed at reshaping the UK’s housing landscape and addressing the pressing challenges of affordability and quality.