Build Baby, Build – Rayner Replacement Chunders New Slogan

You wouldn’t want to embarrass yourself having just taken over from Angela Rayner would you? Yet Steve Reed, the new Housing Secretary, has already offered the vomit inducing slogan 'build, baby, build' as he plans to deliver 1.5 million new homes.

He says it was a call to arms to developers and housebuilders following a roundtable held this week. Most will be thinking he would have been better sticking to Get Britain Building – even though the last year has seen house building fall in real terms since Labour won power.

Reed (pictured centre) committed to ‘leaving no stone unturned’ in the drive for new homes after bringing together leading developers and housebuilders. He claimed landmark legislation and major planning reforms are already paving the way to unlock hundreds of thousands of homes across the country despite damning evidence from his own department that shows planning approvals for new homes are at a record low. 

 

Plan for Change changes nothing so far

The new Secretary of State, alongside Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook, committed to working in partnership with those industry leaders to ramp up housebuilding, focusing on the remaining barriers, including complex planning processes.  

Reed said: “I want us to build, baby, build, so we can put the key to a decent home into the hands of every single family that needs it.

“We are doubling down on our plans to unleash one of the biggest eras of building in our country’s history and we are backing the builders all the way. 

“Through major planning reform and investment, we will break down the barriers to development and build the 1.5 million homes this country needs as part of our Plan for Change.”

 

Building blitz

A ‘blitz’ of new measures are expected to be announced in the coming weeks and months, including new towns across the country and the Planning and Infrastructure Bill passing into law.

This builds on the government’s reinstatement of mandatory housing targets to reverse measures curbing supply which are intended to drive UK housebuilding. If it comes good, the Office for Budget Responsibility does confirm housebuilding would arrive at 40-year high.  

 

Attendees at the roundtable: 

Vistry Group, Thakeham, Taylor Wimpey, Berkeley, Barratt Redrow, Persimmon, Home Builders Federation, Federation of Master Builders, Grainger

British Land, Landsec, Land, Planning and Development Federation, Muse, The Hill Group, Lendlease, Urban&Civic and Homes England.

Discussion points included upcoming planning reforms, how the government can help remove barriers to development and what government can do to get spades in the ground quicker.

 

Picture: Housing Secretary Steve Reed at a government roundtable with major stakeholders in homebuilding

Article written by Cathryn Ellis
22nd September 2025

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