Housing secretary Angela Rayner has acknowledged Labour may not achieve its manifesto pledge to build 1.5 million homes during the five-year parliamentary term, while insisting the target remains in place. Her comments matter because housebuilding is a central government commitment and current delivery is substantially behind the pace required.

Rayner said rising construction costs and other pressures had made the already difficult goal harder, comparing it to her running the London Marathon in under five hours. Fewer than 300,000 homes have reportedly been built in the government’s first two years, compared with the 1.5 million promised in Labour’s 2024 election manifesto; Rayner said she would continue pursuing the target.