With Kier Starmer having officially announced his resignation, the next Labour leader seems unusually certain. Andy Burnham, coming off a dominant victory in Makerfield that pushed back the oncoming wave of Reform constituencies, has announced his desire to run for the role, and currently remains unchallenged. Although no opposition has put themselves forward yet, a number of Labour MPs believe a contest must be held to uphold proper vetting and scrutiny, with Al Carns and Darren Jones considering throwing their hat in the ring. If no contestant for the leadership emerge, Burnham could be Prime Minister as early as July 17th. If a leadership contest is held, Starmer said a new PM would be decided before Parliament returns in September.
But what would Burnham mean for housing? The country’s housing crisis only continues to worsen, as pressure builds on waiting lists and temporary accommodation figures inflate, and Burnham will have an uphill battle if he wants to make the kind of meaningful impact that Starmer wasn’t.
In order to understand Bunrham’s policies on housing, the best evidence base would be his decision making in his last dominion, Manchester. Manchester City Council were Housing Executive’s 2025 winner of Council of the year, following a strong year of both expansion and enhancement of their social housing supply and initiatives for it’s residents. Burnham has been outspoken about his support for council housing, saying previously we should “go back to before the 80’s”, and has long advocated for the end of right to buy. After recent reforms restricted the scheme, it remains to be seen whether that will be enough for Burnhams or he could go a step further should he take hold of reigns.
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Burnham is also aware and resolute on the difference between affordable and social homes, a subject that was brought forwards by a recent report denouncing the ambiguity of the term “affordable housing”. Burnham has asked the government previously to commit to building 500,000 social homes by 2030, and floated the idea of enhancing this goal by pivoting the SAHP fund entirely towards the tenure.
Burnham also seems to be a staunch supporter of devolution, a philosophy that could extend to Homes England. In a conversation with The Social Housing Podcast, Burnham called for less micro-management from the body, and more freedom for local authorities to approach schemes as they see fit.
The GMCA has also taken a firmer approach on regulation and punishments for landlords under Burnham’s tenure. Punishments for bad landlords and legal support for tenants both increased under Burnham’s leadership, as well as a new voluntary “Good Landlords Charter”, recording landlords who could evidence the highest standards of service in the region.
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Whilst Burnham’s tenure as Manchester Mayor does seem to hold promising signs for the social housing sector should he take charge nationally, it is worth noting the expansion of social housing in Manchester is still a distance away from the truly transformative surge needed to stifle the housing crisis. As of 2023, there were 15,000 applicants on Manchester waiting lists, a number we would expect to have risen, and average wait times routinely exceed five years.
From a social housing lens, Andy Burnham’s priorities seem to be in the right place. A focus on truly affordable homes is what the country needs in order to alleviate the pressure on councils and reduce the harmful expansion of unsuitable temporary accommodation. However, steering the country is very different to leading Manchester, and the top position in government will require him to spin a number of very consequential plates. Starmer and Rayner also shot out of their leadership win with a diligent promise to boost housebuilding and expand social housing, and two years later both have been sacked.
