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New prime minister Boris Johnson has promised investment in housing, listing it among other pieces of “vital infrastructure”.
In his first statement to parliament as prime minister, he claimed his premiership would deliver the “beginning of a new golden age”.
Mr Johnson said the UK would leave the EU on 31 October with or without a deal, “no ifs, buts”.
He added that he would not accept a deal that included the backstop from Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement, which would mean Northern Ireland continuing to align with some rules of the EU single market if border checks cannot be avoided through a free trade deal.
In his speech, Mr Johnson said his government would provide funds for “better healthcare, better education and more police on the streets”.
He also promised: “We will announce investment in vital infrastructure, full fibre roll out, transport and housing that can improve the quality of people’s lives, fuel economic growth and provide opportunity.”
Mr Johnson did not clarify what kind of housing he would focus on, but Inside Housing has spoken to sources with knowledge of his plans who say he is considering channelling money into a new part-rent, part-buy tenure and moving away from social housing.
Responding to the new prime minister’s speech, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn argued that young people’s “housing costs are higher than ever”.
Mr Corbyn added: “Austerity was always a political choice, never an economic necessity.”
In the questions following, Labour MP Chris Bryant asked about Universal Credit, the government’s controversial new welfare system.
He said: “As it’s structured now, you don’t get a penny for the first five weeks unless you take out a loan from the government. That loan puts them into debt from the moment they start on Universal Credit. Will he please, please, please look at taking away that five-week problem?”
Mr Johnson responded: “Mr Speaker, the right honourable gentleman, I’m sure, knows that you can get a 100% advance on Universal Credit on day one. And as he knows, and the party opposite wants to scrap Universal Credit and I hear what they say, but it is the old welfare system that kept people trapped in benefits.
“200,000 people are going to be lifted out of benefits and into work thanks to Universal Credit and it has added massively to the incomes of 700,000 families across this country.”