Conservative party conference 2015: David Cameron to unveil affordable housing

British Prime Minister David Cameron will unveil plans on Wednesday to spur home ownership, striking at criticism that his Conservative government is failing growing numbers of Britons who are priced out of the housing market. “That means banks lending, government releasing land and, yes, planning being reformed”.

“Today’s announcement confirms our fears that Starter Homes costing up to £450,000 will be built at the expense of the genuinely affordable homes this country desperately needs”.

He will say the government will amend planning policy to encourage developers to build affordable housing to meet heavy demand – part of the Conservatives’ drive to shed their image as a party that only looks after the rich and privileged and to attract support from lower earners.

“If the public sees that we are so venal that we assume that we have a right to be in power in five years time they will do their level best to kick us out”. By changing requirements for house-builders, he is aiming for 200,000 “starter homes” to be constructed by 2020.

“Yes, from “Generation Rent” to “Generation Buy”, our party, the Conservative Party, the party of home ownership today”.

He is expected to confirm that he intends to step down at the end of his second term, after a full 10 years in Downing Street, which he hopes will come to be seen as a “defining decade” for Britain.

The move is created to “turbocharge” the Tory drive to build an extra 200,000 starter homes a year.

At the Conservatives’ conference in the northern English city of Manchester, government ministers have poached a few of their Labour opponents’ policies such as investing in new infrastructure and childcare programmes.

The Prime Minister will tell activists that the phrase “affordable homes” used by politicians for decades has been “deceptive” because it only covered homes for rent.

“We know this – nothing is written”, he will tell the Tory faithful in Manchester.

“Don’t they realise other people want what they’ve got – a home of their own?”

At present, councils may stipulate that a certain proportion of properties in any development are affordable homes for rent.

In sharp contrast, London’s mayor Boris Johnson called himself a “one nation” Tory and, in a swipe at the leadership front runner – Chancellor George Osborne – on cuts in tax credits, said: “We must ensure that as we reform welfare and we cut taxes that we protect the hardest working and lowest paid”. All I would suggest to my colleagues is this: “a little less on leadership and a little more on delivery, will do me just fine”.

“After five years of failure on housing, the millions of people struggling to cope with their housing costs deserve a real plan for more affordable homes to rent and buy”.