Mayoral election 2021 housing pledges: how Labour, Conservative, Lib Dems and Green candidates square up

London’s housing crisis is far from resolved, with Mayor Sadiq Khan’s critics claiming his record on affordable housing has fallen well short of what was originally promised.

Housing is second from last on Mr Khan’s line-up of 2021 manifesto commitments, whereas “tackle the housing crisis” was number one on his list of pledges at the last Mayoral election five years ago.

With a recent poll putting the sitting Labour mayor ahead of his Conservative rival Shaun Bailey by 47 per cent to 26 per cent, here’s how the mayoral candidates for Labour, Green, Liberal Democrat and Conservative parties compare in terms of housing pledges.

Sadiq Khan

Labour

• 10,000 new council homes.

• Explore the creation of a new “right to buy back” fund, supporting councils to purchase homes previously sold through the right to buy.

• Commit to affordable homes plan to build a majority of homes at social rent, with new space, safety and quality standards.

Sian Berry

Green

• Will campaign for rent control powers and the abolition of no-fault evictions.

• Will use new powers to set up rent commission for London with the aim of a “downward trajectory” for private rents.

• Promises to support tenants who want to set up co-ops to buy out their landlords.

Shaun Bailey

Conservative

• 100,000 homes for £100,000 through a massive shared ownership programme.

• First-time buyers under 40 will be able to pay a deposit of just £5,000 to buy a share in one of the properties.

• Supports “Housing First” model under which homeless people are given a home regardless of circumstances.

Luisa Porritt

Liberal Democrat

• A central housing company to take control of building homes.

• The company will be responsible for “bringing empty properties back into use, maximising the use of public land, driving forward the affordable homes programme”.

• Investigate potential to convert offices into “affordable, zero-carbon homes”.