About Red Brick

The place for progressive housing debate

Red Brick is a progressive political blog with a particular focus on housing policy edited by Rose Grayston since March 2026.

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.

Red Brick editors:

2010 – 2022: Tony Clements, Steve Hilditch and Monimbo

2022 – 2024: Sheila Spencer

2024 – 2026: Alex Toal

2026 – Rose Grayston

Rose Grayston

Rose is editor of Red Brick. She has worked to develop and win support for solutions to the UK’s housing crisis as Expert Adviser to Matthew Pennycook, Minister for Housing and Planning, as a Labour activist and founding member of Open Labour, and through roles at Shelter, the New Economics Foundation and Generation Rent.

Steve Hilditch

Founder of Red Brick. Former Head of Policy for Shelter. Select Committee Advisor for Housing and Homelessness. Drafted the first London Mayor’s Housing Strategy under Ken Livingstone. Steve sits on the Editorial Panel of Red Brick.

• 
  People Power for Rent Controls and Council Homes 
  Maya Bhardwaj from London Renters Union argues for bold action to confront the affordability crisis in England’s private rented sector
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  Renters can fight back against unfair rent hikes – and win
  It is becoming increasingly difficult for policymakers to ignore the affordability crisis… Read more: Renters can fight back against unfair rent hikes – and win
• 
  How to increase housing supply: Use every tool in the box
  Red Brick editor Rose Grayston thinks it’s time to mix up how Britain builds homes
• 
  Lessons from our history: Britain must build places, not units
  Margaret Mullane, Member of Parliament for Dagenham and Rainham, argues Britain must stop treating housing as a numbers game and start building the kind of communities where people can put down roots and thrive.