Labour’s pledge to build more homes hasn’t been thought through - Yorkshire Post Letters

I am somewhat bemused about a few of the Labour party's latest policies announced at their party conference in Liverpool recently to rebuild Britain to its former glory after 13 stagnant years of a Conservative government.

I think that the idea to build 1.5 million houses over two terms of office government is ambitious but the practicalities of many of Labour policies haven't been thought through or fully costed.

The governor of the Bank of England has said that interest rates will have to stay higher for a longer period of time which means in reality less people, especially families, will be able to save towards purchasing a house and afford a mortgage on top of their day-to-day household bills.

How will builders like Barrett and Persimmon, not to mention smaller ones like Yorkshire-based Beal with their shareholders, be able to build more affordable houses in the right locations for the likes of first time buyers to get them on the property ladder?

Labour is proposing to 'bulldoze' planning laws and anybody who has put in a planning application in recent years will know there is a longer waiting list to get it processed as less planning officers are being recruited by local authorities.

Two brand new towns with primary and secondary schools, primary health care centres with dentist and shops and a traditional pub or sports bar sounds great on the drawing board but who is going to pay for the infrastructure of roads and street lighting as more councils are declaring themselves bankrupt and are having to use reserves to fund basic services like children and adult social care.

Fewer elderly people are willing to give up their larger three or four bedroom houses as the alternative of moving into retirement villages in apartments or bungalows is becoming more prohibitive due to high annual service charges and a poor residual value when they have to move on to a care home in the latter years of their life.

I believe that the actions of Liz Truss, when she was prime minister for a mere 44 days, costing the nation's economy £30bn pounds, are still being felt by many families, landlords and businesses. She should be banned for serving as a Member of Parliament for a five year term.

Like many MP's who don't have local roots to their constituency Liz Truss was parachuted into the safe Tory seat of South West Norfolk knowing it would help her political career.

I like the idea of reducing hospital waiting lists, by Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting, by offering junior doctors more overtime, but this doesn't hold much credibility as recent reports are that many junior doctors are already burnt out.

Labour is willing to disband this independent pay review? Why?

I hope that they have the guts to disband the independent pay review for MPs, as during the last few years MPs have received above inflation pay awards.

But this isn't working as less are joining the health profession as a career.

NHS trust chief officers are paying agency staff enhanced rates.

Surely the answer is to train more doctors and nurses starting with an attractive salary.