By Sarah Macklin 
Labour is doubling down on its ambition to deliver a housing revolution, and it wants to do this not just by reforming planning and regulation, but by actively building new homes itself.
The party has announced plans to start construction of three new towns before the next election, alongside a rallying cry from its deputy leader that there are “no excuses” for building 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament.
Building three new towns
Labour intends to launch building in three new towns ahead of the next general election. Though full details are still being fleshed out, the message is clear: Labour wants to signal seriousness about publicly backed development at scale.
A striking line from Housing Secretary Steve Reed captures the ambition:
“We are going to build, baby, build.”
While that phrase may sound catchy, it also carries the implication of stepping beyond merely enabling private builders, and into the territory of state-led delivery.
Of course, constructing new towns is a long-game project. It involves site acquisition, infrastructure (roads, sewers, power, transport), planning approvals, and then sustained investment over years or even decades. But by setting an early start date, Labour seems determined to show that its housing plans are more than election slogans.
Creating 1.5 million homes
Labour’s deputy leader has insisted there are “no excuses” for not delivering 1.5 million new homes in this parliamentary term. That’s a bold target, and one that will put pressure on the new towns plan to deliver concrete output, not just headlines.
Implicit in that demand is a rebuke to critics who claim housing supply is too difficult, too constrained, or hamstrung by bureaucracy. Labour is seeking to force accountability: if the target is set, then measurement must follow.
They hope that in building these homes, house prices will reduce, as will rent prices, which have recently increased, and it will make buying more affordable, helping young people to get on the property ladder.
But there are concerns about how they will get there. Their target means they need to build 300,000 homes a year, a number that hasn’t been reached since the 1970s. We also need to consider that the construction industry has a shortage of workers, which poses the question: are there enough people to build the number of homes Labour has requested.
What does all of this mean?
Taken together, these announcements suggest a shift in Labour’s rhetoric, from “let’s fix the system” to “we will build ourselves.” The three new towns act as flagship projects, and the 1.5 million homes target provides the ambition framework.
Still, the challenge is enormous. Previous governments have offered big targets only to fall short. Questions remain around financing, land availability, skill shortages, regulatory bottlenecks, and whether local authorities will cooperate.
It’s also worth noting that political opponents may seize on the gap between promise and delivery. Critics could compare this to past overpromises.
But if Labour can make meaningful progress, for example, breaking ground on those new towns and showing tangible early completions, then the narrative begins to shift. Instead of being seen as dreamers, they can claim credibility.
