The place for progressive housing debate
Red Brick is a progressive political blog with a particular focus on housing policy edited by Alex Toal since March 2024.
As a forum it is open to anyone interested in the progressive debate about housing, communities, and wider politics.
We are linked to the Labour Housing Group but the views expressed here are those of individual authors and/or the editors and are not necessarily the view of LHG or London LHG.
Through debate and the sharing of ideas in this open forum, we will help to develop sound Labour housing policies, support Labour councils to do their best to address housing needs, and support LHG to make sure housing is seen a priority for Labour.
It was founded in 2010 by Tony Clements and Steve Hilditch and been previously edited by our pseudonymous friend Monimbo.
- Building 1.5m homes with a skills shortage: strategies to alleviate labour demand
City building specialist Simon Barrow lays out how the Government can reduce the demand on the UK’s stretched construction workforce through Modern Methods of Construction, self-build homes, utilising private consultancy and simplifying planning. - Housing issues loomed large in Australia’s Labor’s historic election win
Professor Hal Pawson of the University of New South Wales, Sydney, lays out the housing undercurrents of Australia’s recent election and the way forward for a second Albanese term. - Labour’s opportunity to disrupt housing taxation
Red Brick Editor Alex Toal looks into how reforming how our homes are taxed could represent a political opportunity for Labour. - Bricks, Mortar, and the People to Lay Them
Tom Arey, director at PfP Thrive, lays out the challenges faced by organisations aiming to address the skills shortages in housing and what can be done to attract more people to the sector.