Kier Starmer has stepped down as PM, with his successor Andy Burnham officially taking up his position in office.
Kier Starmer’s tenure as the leader of the UK was turbulent, and wrought with controversy. In what seems to be becoming a recurring pattern, the Prime Ministers popularity plummeted throughout his time in office, as promises of change and prosperity failed to manifest for a large number of the British public.
Burnham will inherit from Starmer a country still facing many of the same challenges as it did when labour won the election; intense political division, surging homelessness and a cost of living crisis that is placing intense pressure on working households. Burnham has been candid with what his time as PM must deliver, and has promised that his time as Prime Minister will bring stability back to UK politics. As the fifth prime minister of the past four years, he has a difficult task ahead of him.
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Burnham has been clear in his message so far; social housing is a key pillar in his plans to rebuild a sense of stability. Burnham has promised post-war levels of council housebuilding, a pledge that has brought criticism and praise alike. Regardless of political leaning, a baseline truth is that homelessness and temporary accommodation in the UK has gone well beyond crisis point. Industry bodies have called for a housing first approach, focused ensuring those recovering from homelessness have a place to call home as the first step to their recovery, rather than the last. For those already living in temporary accommodation, including a record-breaking number of children, market rate homes will have little to no impact on their chances of finding a home.
Starmer, however, also opened his premiership with devoted calls for more social homes. Whilst supply has increased, his goal of building 1.5M new homes before the end of this labour government seems to be more fanciful with every passing week, and council finances have all but crippled their ability to expand their housing stock. Councils will have a key part to play if Burnham wants to unlock the level of delivery needed to make a meaningful impact on the housing crisis.
The Chartered Institute of Housing said: “CIH congratulates Andy Burnham on becoming Prime Minister. We welcome his track record in championing the importance of housing to opportunity, economic growth and community wellbeing, while making a strong case for devolution and empowering local leaders to meet the needs of their communities. In his first speech as Prime Minister, he spoke about restoring hope and opportunity and made a clear commitment to building more council housing and ending rough sleeping – an ambition that will resonate strongly across the housing sector.
“We look forward to working with his new administration to support delivery of the affordable and social homes the country urgently needs, helping to create stronger communities and ensure more people have access to a safe, secure and affordable place to call home.
“We also want to thank Sir Keir Starmer for his leadership on housing and for keeping the need to increase housing supply at the heart of the national conversation during his time in office.”
Northern Housing Consortium Chief Executive Tracy Harrison said: “We look forward to working with the new Prime Minister to give hope back to forgotten places. A good quality, affordable home is one of life’s essentials. Our Renew inquiry has found that housing-led regeneration can unlock at least 500,000 good quality homes across the North of England. It can bring hope by making sure more people have a great place to live, improving and residents’ health and wellbeing, and generating jobs. Housing-led regeneration – reviving struggling high streets with new homes, developing forgotten brownfield land, and renewing and redeveloping homes that no longer meet the needs of communities – can help bring growth to every postcode.
“The new Prime Minister has acknowledged the importance of regeneration, so we hope he will seize the moment to build on investment that the Government has already made in housing, with long-term devolved regeneration funding, and support to build local capacity and expertise. Our policy recommendations are about ensuring that regeneration is viable and achievable across the North, which has diverse needs and challenges beyond our cities. As Lara Joyce, Secretary of Gleadless Resident’s Association said, we need “to make it safe to feel hope again”.
“Andy Burnham is a big backer of devolution, and we know he wants to build on the success we have already seen in the North. In areas where devolution has progressed further, social housing providers and other partners have collaborated and have had real success scaling up what works for communities so more people and places benefit.”
