Angela Rayner Won’t Cut Her 1.5 Million-Home Pledge, Despite Falling Behind Target

Angela Rayner says she will not lower Labour’s promise to build 1.5 million homes in England by 2029, even though fewer than a third of that total have been completed since the party took office. Appearing before a parliamentary committee, the Housing Secretary said she would not “admit defeat” on the manifesto commitment. Rayner told MPs that 437,900 homes had been built since Labour entered government. She also pointed to a rise in new housing starts, saying they were up around 20 per cent compared with the previous year. Asked what target was now realistic, she stuck to the original figure rather than offering a reduced goal. She acknowledged that the task had become harder, citing higher construction costs and pressure on household finances. Rayner said building costs had risen by 40 per cent, and referred to challenges linked to the war in the Middle East. In her view, the changes introduced by the government would take time to translate into completed homes. Rayner also gave MPs a light-hearted description of her return to the role, joking that her first stint as Housing Secretary was “album one” and her current chapter was “album two.” She previously left the post after acknowledging that she had not paid the correct tax connected with the purchase of a flat. The pledge was part of Labour’s 2024 general election manifesto, which set out a five-year ambition to build 1.5 million homes. Rayner highlighted investment in social and affordable housing and changes to planning policy as parts of the government’s approach, while insisting the original promise remains in place despite the scale of the challenge.