<p>The Labour party has said it is “proud to be the party of home ownership”, with leader Keir Starmer pledging to reinstate housebuilding targets.</p> <p><span>In news coverage on the run up to this Thursday’s local elections, Starmer stated that a Labour government would support young people and families “to realise their dreams of owning a home”.</span></p><p></p> <p><span>The Labour leader said in an interview with Sky News that home ownership was “hugely important for security”. But this ambition had been “killed by the prime minister because he took down the targets”.</span></p><p></p> <p><span>He seemed to refer to prime minister Rishi Sunak’s interview with Conservative Home last month, in which the PM explained he </span><a href="http://www.house-builder.co.uk/news/housing-targets-dropped-due-party-concern-pm">dropped local housing targets due to party member concerns over them.</a></p><p></p> <p><span>“That shows a fundamental weakness and it’s he who accepts he gave into them [members],” Starmer said.</span></p><p></p> <p><span>Under proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill (LURB), housebuilding targets - amounting to the government’s 300,000 homes-a-year pledge - have become </span><a href="http://www.house-builder.co.uk/news/dluhc-publishes-revised-nppf-consultation">“an advisory starting point”</a><span> following a Conservative backbench rebellion last year.</span></p><p></p> <p><span>Starmer also stated on his Twitter page that he would support first time buyers with a mortgage …