Starmer to outline plan to raise homeownership by running ‘patriotic economy’

SIR Keir Starmer will talk up Labour’s housing pledges on a visit to the West Midland today, promising it will deliver a “future built in Britain, by Britain, for Britain” if it wins power.

The party leader is expected to say he would run a “patriotic economy” including through plans to boost homeownership and establish the “next generation” of new towns.

Sir Keir will be joined by deputy leader Angela Rayner on a trip to a housing development, where he will argue the “core British value of working hard and getting on has been corroded” after 14 years of Tory government.

Ahead of the visit, he said: “Britain’s workers and Britain’s interests have been failed. Living standards have plummeted, as has the traditional British belief that if you work hard, it pays. For too many people a higher wage is beyond reach and buying a home has become a fantasy.

“My mum and dad enjoyed the stability of a home they owned and a faith that their kids would have more opportunity than they did. It wasn’t just them, its engrained in the British psyche – you work hard, you can get on. Work will pay. Life will give you chances.

“The Conservative Party’s economic choices run completely against those values. Meanwhile, their promises on levelling up are empty. The Tories aren’t just betting the house, they’re betting yours.

“It’s time for change. My Labour government will be different. We’ll run a patriotic economy where Britain’s interest is centre stage and Britain’s hard-working families reap the rewards.”

The party’s new framing of its economic vision comes after it faced criticism for abandoning the £28bna-year spending pledge tied to its flagship green prosperity plan. Environmental groups, trade unions and energy industry figures expressed disappointment at the U-turn.