Housebuilder Bellway’s results last week were accompanied by a notably forthright appeal to the UK Government to help the housing market.

Labour has made plain that housing is a policy priority for it so Bellway may feel it is knocking at a door that is at least ajar. And you would imagine the housebuilder will be keen to make representations to Andy Burnham in his early days as Prime Minister.

That said, the UK public finances are somewhat tight, especially given the fiscal rules which Labour has imposed on itself.

Jason Honeyman, chief executive of Bellway, declared on Tuesday: “Bellway has delivered a robust performance and growth in volume output, despite ongoing headwinds for our industry. Our sharp focus on operational improvement and drive for capital efficiency has provided resilience and supported a strong increase in cash generation and shareholder returns.”

He said the “board remains confident that, with supportive market conditions, Bellway is in a strong position to capitalise on future growth opportunities”.

And then came the sales pitch to Mr Burnham and his Government.

Mr Honeyman declared: “With the near-term outlook remaining uncertain, we call on the Government to act now to improve access to housing across all tenures, both by helping first-time buyers on to the property ladder and supporting the delivery of affordable and social housing for those who need it most.

“In order to ease affordability constraints and stimulate demand, an immediate reduction in stamp duty alongside a Government-backed deposit support scheme for first-time buyers would both drive economic growth and accelerate the delivery of much-needed new........

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