黑洞社区

Shadow minister for housing and planning John Healey has announced Taylor Wimpey chief executive Pete Redfern will conduct an independent review of home ownership.

The Redfern review will analyse the 鈥渞oot causes鈥� of the decline of home ownership in the UK and 鈥渟et out the ideas needed for a wide new debate,鈥� Healey told the Labour party conference.

Redfern will be joined on the review panel by Terrie Alafat, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, Dame Kate Barker, senior adviser to Credit Suisse and a former member of the Bank of England鈥檚 monetary policy committee, and Ian Mulheirn, director of consulting at Oxford Economics.

Healey went on to say that Labour need to 鈥渢hink bigger and be bolder鈥� about how they tackle the housing crisis.

He added that they would 鈥渙ppose a totally free hand for developers鈥� and reiterated that Labour would 鈥渙ppose the extension of Right to Buy to housing associations鈥�, as previously written by 黑洞社区.

Redfern said: 鈥淓nabling more British people to own their own homes is fundamental to creating a flourishing society and is an issue that has a profound impact on the country. This is not about politics, it affects us all. I feel strongly that home ownership has never reached the right level in our society.鈥�

He will be advised by an expert panel, including Dame Kate Barker CBE, Terrie Alafat, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, and Ian Mulheirn, director of consulting at Oxford Economics. The report will be published in summer 2016.

Earlier Lillian Greenwood shadow secretary of state for transport said it was time for the country鈥檚 railways 鈥渢o be run under public ownership, in the public interest, with affordable fares for all鈥�.

She added that she wanted a new deal for rail with 鈥渁 strong voice for passengers, a modern intercity identity, an expanded London Overground and devolution for other local networks, putting commuters first鈥�.

Greenwood continued calling for 21st century infrastructure 鈥渢o revolutionise the links between the cities of the Midlands and the North,鈥� adding 鈥渟o let鈥檚 invest in high speed rail - and let鈥檚 make sure it can be under public ownership, as a public service鈥�.

She also used her speech to accuse the Tories of 鈥減lanning the privatisation of Network Rail鈥� behind closed doors.