🏠Could the National Housing Bank be a game changing policy for getting more homes built this Parliament? I’ve teamed up with @jacktshaw.bsky.social to write in the MJ what the government must consider at next week’s Budget to make it a success 👇

The government should definitely be looking at this. 📉 Stamp duty makes it costly to move and puts people off downsizing - exacerbating the housing shortage. ⚖️ Council tax bands are clearly not fair and the system needs to be reviewed.

The Guardian@theguardian.com · last yr.

Reeves considers replacing stamp duty with new property tax

Amazing to see the government announce the National Housing Bank that we called for. This could be a transformational tool for attracting private investment into affordable housing. And will be key for delivering 1.5 million homes this Parliament.

Marley Miller@marleygmiller.bsky.social · last yr.

🚨New report with @homesfornorth calls on the government to adopt a novel approach to affordable housing investment: Giving Homes England a ‘National Affordable Housing Bank’ role to invest alongside the private sector in funds set up to deliver discounted rent homes. A 🧵on why this is needed:

🏡Fantastic to see our proposal to give Homes England a new 'affordable housing bank' role in the Spending Review This will be vital for attracting investment into affordable housing And means the new £39bn Affordable Homes Programme can focus more on social rent homes to maximise affordability

🚨New report with @homesfornorth calls on the government to adopt a novel approach to affordable housing investment: Giving Homes England a ‘National Affordable Housing Bank’ role to invest alongside the private sector in funds set up to deliver discounted rent homes. A 🧵on why this is needed:

🚨New report with @homesfornorth calls on the government to adopt a novel approach to affordable housing investment: Giving Homes England a ‘National Affordable Housing Bank’ role to invest alongside the private sector in funds set up to deliver discounted rent homes. A 🧵on why this is needed:

Very excited to be working with @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social @jujulemons.bsky.social and team to make the progressive case for growth as a fellow at the new Centre for British Progress @britishprogress.bsky.social

Centre for British Progress@britishprogress.org · last yr.

💫 We’re launching the Centre for British Progress Our founding essay: Rediscovering British Progress is a case for growth that drives shared progress, rooted in Britain's values and industrial heritage. It all starts with a postcard from 1870 👇 britishprogress.org/articles/red...

NEW: updated long-run gap in voting between young men and women in Germany: Gender divide continues to widen, but contrary to what is often assumed, young men continue to vote roughly in line with the overall population, while young women have swung sharply left. www.ft.com/content/29fd...

We will never have a strong economy unless we invest seriously in our public services. When we are in unwell, poorly educated, or living in precarious, poor-quality housing, our lives suffer, our communities suffer - and we are less productive.

Great to see increased weight put on affordability in latest tweaks to housing need formula - will direct house building to where it’s needed most. Changes at regional level vs method consulted on are here. Main point is that target is 9,000 higher in London and SE.

Theo has tragically been diagnosed with aggressive leukaemia and desperately needs a stem cell transplant to survive - please sign up for the stem cell register to see if you’re a match and can help him. Any shares would be hugely appreciated. www.dkms.org.uk/get-involved...

I have made a UK growth & progress starter pack! Let me know if you want to be added, or if I have missed anyone. go.bsky.app/2AGSHqi

🏗️ Labour’s clean energy mission and planning reforms are already speeding up infrastructure delivery. ✅ Infrastructure approvals are up 298% in October, driven by green energy projects ✅ Wider construction approvals up 59% ✅ Planning applications for new projects up 18% tinyurl.com/4nhdta8u

Green energy projects drive rise in UK infrastructure approvals

Go-ahead for US$4.5 billion offshore floating wind farm helps bolster latest figures

tinyurl.com

Column, on how I've unexpectedly found I now feel happy not so much in "nature", but in places where new houses are being built: www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

Today Rachel Reevea has swept away one of the biggest weaknesses in the UK’s macroeconomic framework: the bias against public investment. It’s a very big deal.

🏗️Excellent report from NIC on why it’s become so costly to build infrastructure in the UK. 1. Key reason: a lack of strategic direction. They show the UK has the most volatile public investment levels across the G7 – which has reduced the supply chain’s confidence to invest.

The housing crisis in numbers. (From The Sunday Times today: www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...)

Refreshingly honest speech from Chris Stark today on govt’s plan for clean energy mission: 1. ESO to report in autumn on practical steps needed to meet 2030 2. Will show it’s not possible under current system. Govt will quickly set out needed changes: Planning Bill key & will be introduced 2025

🪙Few thoughts on what OBR’s important report will mean for govt’s first Budget: 1. Now a much stronger argument for reversing the investment cuts announced by last govt: set to be cut from 2.5% of GDP to 1.75%. This would have a big effect on growth, starting this parliament & rising over time

Jonathan Portes@jdportes.bsky.social · 2y ago

Really important stuff from OBR: "We find a sustained 1 per cent of GDP increase in public investment could plausibly increase the level of potential output by just under ½ a percent after five years and around 2½ per cent in the long run (50 years)." t.co/io9DwohgnC

Our latest polling suggests the government will have more of an uphill battle than expected to deliver its new towns agenda: 1. While most people think new towns would reduce pressure on existing towns and cities, only a 1/3 of people would want to live in or visit them. (1/3)

Early go at Labour Growth/Housing/Infrastructure people on BlueSky, which I'll be updating periodically. Give me a nod of you think I'm missing anyone. go.bsky.app/ENRUppA

Great history. Think design of new towns/garden cities was also important for their ultimate success - in terms of architectural styles (modernist, concrete aesthetic didn’t prove widely popular in England), form/density and how car-centric new developments were (good rail links were key)

Max Nathan@maxnathan.bsky.social · 2y ago

Very good history of New Towns, this, from Samuel Watling. tldr; 1) you can’t defy economic geography 2) connectivity - especially public transport - is as important as decent housing. www.worksinprogress.news/p/escape-to-...

🏠How politically divisive are Labour’s proposed housing targets? A thread 📈I’ve regrouped govt’s proposed targets by constituency to show which MPs/parties are biggest winners/losers TLDR Lab MPs face smaller increases in targets but must build more vs current delivery (1/8)