The prime minister-in-waiting wants to redirect the existing £39 billion, 10-year affordable housing budget for England towards social rent – the cheapest and most heavily subsidised form of publicly funded homes.

Andy Burnham, the prime minister-in-waiting, wants to redirect the existing £39 billion, 10-year affordable housing budget for England towards council housing (Image: Nigel French/PA Wire)

Michael Newey, chief executive of Broadland Housing Association - which provides around 5,900 homes across Norfolk and north Suffolk - said that if the prospective prime minister is serious about delivering a “council housebuilding boom”, he will first need to bolster the construction workforce.

It is estimated that the UK construction industry needs in the region of 250,000 additional workers over the next few years, with a skills shortage leaving tens of thousands of vacancies unfilled while many existing workers are nearing retirement age.

There are currently more than 140,000 job vacancies in the construction sector, stalling housing projects, according to training provider PfP Thrive. By 2035, over a third of current construction workers will retire, worsening the skills crisis.

“It’s not just about providing the funding to build homes,” Mr Newey said. “We’ve got to grow the........

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