Voters ‘want new council houses built’

EIGHT in 10 voters want more council homes built, a Labour survey found.

It comes as the party prepares to unveil its housing strategy, which will demand that all councils construct homes.

Labour said 149 of England’s 326 councils have little or no housing after transferring them to housing associations.

That makes it difficult to start building again. But Labour could return cash from council house sales to local authorities.

Shadow Housing Minister John Healey said: “The Tories won’t fix the housing pressures people face, so the next Labour government must.”