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Housing secretary James Brokenshire has warned against “talking down” the housebuilding market in the lead up to Brexit.
Mr Brokenshire made the remarks while responding to a question from shadow housing secretary John Healey in the House of Commons yesterday afternoon.
Mr Healey asked the secretary of state how many fewer homes will be built each year in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
In response, Mr Brokenshire said: “I think the right honourable gentleman should be positive as to the future for our country. And, indeed, as we look to secure a deal that can command support from this house to ensure that our country – our United Kingdom – can look proudly to the future.
“Rather than talking things down, we should be talking up what we can do as a country and yes, securing a deal that takes us out positively, that ensures that we have that bright, positive future.”
The UK is set to leave the European Union on 29 March but MPs have yet to agree on a trade deal with the EU when they leave. Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England, warned in November that a no-deal Brexit could trigger a recession worse than the financial crisis in 2008, with house prices dropping by up to a third.
After Mr Brokenshire’s comments, Mr Healey said: “The Bank of England says that house prices could fall by 30% on a no-deal Brexit, almost double the fall after the global banking crisis.
“Now a Labour government kept Britain in business after that global financial crash with a big stimulus programme and a new low-cost housebuilding programme at the centrepiece.
“If the secretary of state still cannot say no to a no deal, will he commit to a new stimulus of at least £4bn for new low-cost homes next year so that come what may, those who need new homes will not pay the price for this government’s mess of Brexit?”
Responding to this, Mr Brokenshire said: “Well, it’s interesting, you know, the right honourable gentleman might reflect on the mess that his government caused in terms of crashing the economy.
“But what I would say to him is that we have a £9bn affordable homes programme, £2bn beyond that in terms of long-term investment in affordable homes too, as well as the new flexibilities and freedoms that councils will have to borrow to build.
“It is that new freedom to build the homes our country needs and the support this government is giving to achieve that.”
Update: at 11.52am on 5.3.19 The picture on this story was changed to an image of Mr Brokenshire during the debate.