Boris Johnson patted himself on the back for the government's housing policy - but there's a problem

Boris Johnson has praised his government for building new homes, but people are pointed out the same thing.

The PM has boasted that his government built 245,000 homes in 2019, but many have pointed out that it falls many thousands short of the party’s own manifesto.

In the Tory manifesto, the Conservative Party pledged to build 300,000 new homes per year, but Johnson has now admitted he can’t provide a “cast-iron guarantee” that that is actually possible.

On Twitter, political reporter Ava Evans, wrote: “Boris Johnson praises his gov for building 245,000 homes in 2019.

“That figure falls 55,000 short of the tories manifesto pledge to build 300,000 per year.”

She wasn’t the only person to point out the discrepancy, with another journalist writing: “The growing list of broken Tory manifesto promises is going to be a gift to Labour at the next election:

“300k new homes a year by mid 2020s. No rise in National Insurance. 0.7 per cent foreign aid. Pensions triple lock. No one sell home to pay for care.”

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Others pointed out that, along with the government’s new Right To Buy Scheme, the failure to live up to its house-building manifesto promise will further deplete social housing supplies and contribute to the housing shortage.

One person wrote: “Why is #ToryGovt extending #righttobuy when it cannot meet its basic election pledge to create 300k homes per yr.

“To meet pledge, 20 largest cities need to increase their existing home-building targets by 35%. Wrong priorities, wrong timing, will only increase #housingshortage”

Johnson’s Right To Buy pledge has been criticised by experts who say the policy could erode the supply of affordable housing.

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