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Policy Exchange launches new housing policy strategy with endorsement from Boris Johnson

A right-wing thinktank has outlined a new policy strategy for the next prime minister, endorsed by Boris Johnson, which calls for housing policy to focus on good design, first-time buyers and brownfield development.

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Boris Johnson is the frontrunner to be the next prime minister (picture: Getty)
Boris Johnson is the frontrunner to be the next prime minister (picture: Getty)
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Policy Exchange launches new housing policy strategy with endorsement from Boris Johnson #ukhousing

Policy Exchange focuses on design, first-time buyers and brownfield development in Boris Johnson-endorsed policy strategy for the next prime minister #ukhousing

Sir Lynton Crosby, who has masterminded recent election campaigns for the Conservative Party, unveiled the new policy strategy in a report for thinktank Policy Exchange to be published tomorrow.

The project – ‘What do we want from the next Prime Minister?’ – will involve the publication of a set of policy proposals over the coming weeks on several areas, including on housing, which will be one of the first chapters published tomorrow.

The report is endorsed by leadership contenders Mr Johnson and Michael Gove. Mr Johnson is the odds-on favourite to replace Theresa May.


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The housing policy ideas published tomorrow will include:

  • Incentivising developers to build ‘beautiful’ homes and places by objectively defining what is meant by ‘good design’ in the National Planning Policy Framework and giving preferential treatment in the planning system to schemes that best fulfil the criteria. This builds on work currently being carried out by the government’s Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission, which is also endorsed by Policy Exchange.
  • Encouraging baby boomers to downsize by increasing the number of purpose-built homes for older people.
  • Supporting the redevelopment of ‘big box’ brownfield industrial land into new neighbourhoods in town and city centres.
  • Announcing a strategic review of government support for first-time buyers with the purpose of replacing the Help to Buy scheme in the next few years.
  • Establishing a ‘Department for Growth’ with responsibility for delivering 15 beautiful new towns on the edge of London.

In his foreword to the report, Sir Lynton wrote: “Nothing is more important than unlocking aspiration and providing people with the opportunity to realise their ambitions.

“Without finding consensus and building on it, it will be very difficult for the next prime minister to deliver on Brexit and so much more.

“And the good news is there may be more consensus in hidden areas – as Policy Exchange has shown, for instance, in its housing work, which demonstrates that nimbyism melts away if you build new homes in ways that are popular with existing local residents and with the wider public.”

Mr Johnson said: “Policy Exchange continues to be at the leading edge of discussion and debate. There are a range of proposals here, which need to be considered carefully as part of any forward-looking programme for government.

“We are all richer for the debate they foster and I am sure their ideas will continue to play a key role in shaping our shared outlook.”

Listen to a podcast on the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission here:

Mr Gove added: “Policy Exchange has a strong record of producing policies that help overlooked families and undervalued communities, which will be at the heart of my premiership.”

Sir Lynton ran the election strategy that saw the Conservatives win a majority in 2015, as well as Mr Johnson’s two mayoral victories in London in 2008 and 2012.

However, he also led the unsuccessful campaign against Sadiq Khan in London in 2016, which was accused of racism after attempts to link the current mayor to Islamic extremism.

Policy Exchange had a major influence on housing policy under David Cameron’s government – particularly after he won a majority in 2015 and appointed Alex Morton, former head of housing, planning and urban policy at the thinktank, to his top team.

Under Mr Cameron’s leadership, the government passed laws seeking to force councils to sell off homes and charge social tenants more rent if they earned higher wages.

Almost all of these policies have since been abandoned.

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