Tories will be judged on their housing record and not their promises, says Healey

At Jeremy Corbyn’s first Parliamentary Labour Party meeting as leader, he made clear that housing was going to be one of his top priorities.

Since then, the Tories have attempted to steal a march on the issue, with Osborne announcing that “we are the builders” during his conference speech and claiming in the Autumn Statement that they would build 400,000 affordable homes by 2020 – despite a Housing minister claiming that was going to be a million just two months before.

Now David Cameron will today claim that 200,000 people will be able to get on the housing ladder using a shared ownership scheme. But the message from Labour is clear: after five years of failure, people will judge by what you’ve done and not what you promise.

“After five years as Prime Minister the country will judge David Cameron on what he’s done, not what he says he’s going to do. On affordable housing and home ownership his record is five years of failure,” said Shadow Housing Minister John Healey.

“There are over 200,000 fewer home-owning households since 2010 and tens of thousands fewer affordable homes to buy thanks to investment being slashed.”

Healey, whose housing role has been made a Shadow Cabinet position by Corbyn in order to show his commitment to the issue, also slammed the detail set out in Osborne’s Autumn Statement.

“The Spending Review revealed that the government is set to halve funding for affordable homes compared to the plans inherited from Labour. At the same time they are driving a Housing Bill through Parliament which will choke off low-cost homes, including for shared ownership.

“Families and young people on ordinary incomes who are struggling with high housing costs need a real plan for affordable homes to rent and buy, not just more hot air,” he said.