Angela Rayner says Rishi Sunak has failed young people on housing while ‘looking down from his private jet’

Angela Rayner has accused Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of failing young people on housing while “looking down from his private jet”.

The Labour deputy leader, who is also shadow levelling up secretary, criticised Mr Sunak for not mentioning housing in his speech at Tory party conference last week.

Speaking to a packed hall at Labour conference in Liverpool, she took several digs at the Conservative Party, including listing the many resignations Mr Sunak’s Cabinet had seen in the last year including the departures of Gavin Williamson and Dominic Raab.

Ms Rayner continued: “The Prime Minister’s speech didn’t even mention housing once. That’s because his housing policy is the same as his new smoking policy – increase the price year on year so eventually no one can buy.”

She added that Mr Sunak “can’t understand why young people can’t get on the housing ladder” while “looking down from his private jet”.

Ms Rayner went on to pledge that Labour would “deliver the biggest boost in affordable and social housing for a generation”, adding: “And conference that includes council housing”.

Labour has made housing one of its key focuses as it sets out its vision for Britain this week, with party leader Sir Keir Starmer pledging to build 1.5 million homes in his first five years in office.

“The Tories look down on people living in social housing. Well I say, let’s stare right back and never be ashamed. A council house changed my life,” Ms Rayner continued.

She said Labour would “salvage the system that the Tories have taken a sledgehammer to” by unlocking new government grants and working with local leaders.

Other pledges on housing included overhauling the nation’s “medieval leasehold system”, banning no-fault evictions and giving first-time buyers “first dibs” on new developments in their communities through a new mortgage guarantee scheme.

Ms Rayner also went on to assuage concerns that Labour was watering down its pledge to workers, claiming her party would deliver a “genuine living wage that working people can actually live on”.

She said: “I’ve heard some rumours that we will be watering down a new deal for working people. Be in no doubt, with Kier and I at the helm, we will ban zero hour contracts, end fire and rehire and [secure] gig workers rights from day one.

“We will go further and faster in closing the gender pay gap, make work more family friendly and tackle sexual harassment in the workplace, and we won’t stop there.”

Ms Rayner appeared confident that this would be her last speech in opposition, with a general election due sometime next year.

“I hope this is the last speech you’ll hear from me on this podium before a general election. Because just like you I am sick of being in opposition… you didn’t elect me to be Deputy Leader of the Opposition, you elected me to be Deputy Prime Minister of Labour government,” she said.