Labour’s new shadow Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary, Angela Rayner, says she will put council housing at the heart of her reform agenda, in a bid to reduce demand in the private rental sector.

Rayner has told the TUC Congress: “As a young single mum, it was a Labour government that levelled the playing field for me. When I most needed it, a council house gave me and my son a secure home instead of surfing sofas.

“That in turn meant I could go out and find the job which I built a life upon. The minimum wage meant I earned more. A local authority job gave me better skills at work, and a Sure Start centre better skills as a parent, and joining a union changed my whole life and meant I could change other people’s lives too.

“That kind of levelling up transformed my life and my prospects because it was done right. A house and a good, unionised job, with decent conditions, a thriving community empowered to create good local services and educational opportunities – these things were my lifeline, and they are what real levelling-up mean to me.

“But everything I relied upon to improve my life and my community has instead been levelled down by the Tories. With housebuilding and wages plummeting across the whole country, this government’s version of levelling up is a sham – and a scam.

“The mask has slipped, and the public has seen the truth – warm words and politically driven handouts won’t touch the sides. An empty slogan won’t pay decent wages. False promises won’t build secure homes. And a sound bite won’t empower communities.

“Good jobs and homes are the foundations of good lives and communities, and it’s a Labour government that will provide those foundations and build on them, whilst also empowering communities and local leaders to create strong, sustainable economies.

“Labour has a comprehensive plan to create good jobs across the entire country and raise living standards for all through our New Deal for Working People.

“Alongside decent work, Labour has a plan to fix the housing crisis by building more homes, homes people can afford to live in with priority given to local people – and yes, that means more council houses.”

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