70% of housebuilders want Labour government – Knight Frank

Seventy percent of housebuilders would want to see the Labour party win the general election, according to research released by Knight Frank.

The global property consultancy’s Land Index & Housebuilder Survey reveals that seven out of ten of housebuilders surveyed wished for a Labour win “as they believe this is the party most capable of enhancing the country’s land and development market”.

Only 30% of respondents said the Conservatives would be most likely to enhance the land and development market. None of the volume and SME housebuilders surveyed believed the Liberal Democrats would positively impact the land and development market.

Of the 70% stating that Labour would be most capable of enhancing the country’s land and development market, 70% were large volume housebuilders and/or big London developers.

And of the remaining 30% who favoured the Conservatives’ chances, 64% were smaller/regional/SME housebuilders, delivering up to 50 units a year.

Knight Frank noted that Labour had pledged to release low quality green belt land - dubbed “grey belt” - and hand local authorities increased powers to help meet their area’s housing need.

In a new year speech, Labour leader Keir Starmer reiterated his intention to reform the planning …