The Home Builders Federation (HBF) has congratulated Andy Burnham on his appointment as Prime Minister, welcoming the new government’s continued focus on housing while urging ministers to address the wider challenges preventing the industry from delivering the homes we need.
Andy Burnham was elected as Labour leader on Friday 17 July, and officially appointed Prime Minister on Monday 20 July, following Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to step down as both Prime Minister and Labour leader.
The new Prime Minister’s appointment of Angela Rayner back into her Housing Secretary role and the decision to retain Matthew Pennycook as Housing Minister provide welcome continuity for the sector. Their continued involvement means that HBF can build on constructive relationships established before and since the 2024 general election.
The Government has taken important steps through planning reform and the reintroduction of housing targets for local authorities to support home building, and Rayner and Pennycook were at the helm in MHCLG together at the outset of that process; however, this alone will not be enough to unlock the new homes needed.
The home building industry continues to face significant challenges, including increased taxes, levies, policy costs, and regulatory pressures, alongside weak demand driven by mortgage affordability challenges amid a lack of meaningful support for buyers.
Without action to address the cumulative cost burden on development and create the right conditions for investment, the Government’s housing ambitions will remain increasingly difficult to achieve.
Responding to the announcement, Neil Jefferson, Chief Executive of the Home Builders Federation, said:
“We look forward to working closely with Prime Minister Burnham and his Government to turn its housing ambitions into reality.
“The Government has already taken important steps to support housing delivery through planning reform, but if we are to reverse the decline in housing supply, we now need to move beyond planning alone and tackle the wider barriers holding back supply.
“Home builders continue to stand ready to deliver the homes the country needs, but it can only do so if the conditions are right. The Government’s housing ambitions depend on a thriving private sector, so there is now an opportunity to ensure policy is aligned with that objective.
“Reducing the cumulative cost burden on development, supporting home buyers and providing long-term policy certainty will restore confidence, unlock investment and enable the industry to deliver the step change in housing supply the country needs.”