The Labour Party will target building 1.5 million new homes in five years should the party get elected, said leader Keir Starmer ahead of the party’s annual conference in Liverpool.
Starmer told BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that the UK must “get real about where we’re going to build” in a bid to solve the housing crisis.
Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Stramer said: “We put the targets back up to get building happening.
“We have to challenge the planning laws, we have to get real about where we’re going to build and we have to work with developers to get there at speed.
“This can be done. But it will never be done by a government that simply takes down targets because the prime minister is too weak to stand up to his own party.”
Last year Sunak removed the Conservative housing target of building 300,000 homes per year.
Rachel Reeves, shadow chancellor of the Labour Party, said Labour would review into potential construction on the green belt.
She told the Sunday Times: “A brownfield-first approach is right.
“But we also need to have a common-sense approach, where we look again at what is designated green [belt] and brown[field].”
Reeves added: “We’re not talking about turning the beautiful countryside into housing developments.
“What we’re talking about is a common sense approach where local authorities and local people can go ahead with development on areas that are ripe for development, while still protecting our natural environment.”
Labour has pledged to work with local authorities to make sure developers build as many affordable and social rented homes as are promised.