Brown's council house pledge

Last Modified: 14 Jul 2007
By: James Blake

Gordon Brown has told Labour activists he's determined to deal with Britain's shortage of affordable homes.

He pledged 3m new homes by 2020 - and said local councils should help to build them and that more money would be needed for rented accommodation.

So is this a return for the old-style council house?

The humble rented council house is Gordon Brown's vision and his answer to Britain's housing crisis.

He admits the shortage of homes - is one of the failures of the last 10 years and he promises a new national building plan, but he wants it to be funded and controlled by councils and local housing assocations.

It is a marked change in direction from the Blair years and one of the few moments in his speech that earned the Prime Minister spontaneous applause.