'We have no space for ourselves, no space to think-and particularly for my children it's a real struggle." Before Keir Starmer launched Labour's manifesto in Manchester this month, Daniel, a father from east London, took to the same stage to share his experiences of bringing up two children in a one-bed flat.
"To say we find it difficult is an understatement," he said, going on to praise "Keir's plan to build a lot more homes".
Rachel Reeves's fierce caution on tax and spend is perhaps the best known aspect of Labour's mission to kickstart the economy.
But the prominence of Daniel's story in Labour's pitch underlines the importance of another key element of the party's economic plans: unblocking the UK's notoriously sluggish planning system.
In total, Labour has claimed it will ensure 1.5m homes are built over the next five years. But how significant are these plans, and what difference could they make to achieving the goal of economic growth and to improving life for Britons at the sharp end of the housing crisis?
Ant Breach, a housing and planning expert at the Centre for Cities thinktank, said getting housebuilding plans right would be good for growth. "If you're a government looking to improve economic growth, then changing the planning system is by far the easiest route you can pick.
"Partly, if there's more housebuilding, there's more construction jobs, there's greater ability to absorb investment - but also it's about increasing disposable income after housing costs: it means there's more money in people's pockets."
He added: "If we can help people live closer to city centres in particular a reasonable commute away, rather than all congested on the roads or on public transport - then that's a long-term and permanent productivity boost, even beyond the short-term rush of a construction boom."
This story is from the June 24, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the June 24, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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