Picture two world leaders, Britain’s Andy Burnham and Spain’s Pedro Sánchez, strolling through Central Park last September. Dressed in matching blue suits without ties, they were in New York for the UN General Assembly, unaware of the political storms awaiting them back home. While Sánchez faced immediate housing controversies in Spain, Burnham was crafting a bold, transformative message for his Labour Party conference in Liverpool.
Burnham’s speech marked a sharp departure from four decades of conventional thinking. He argued that housing shouldn’t be treated as a market game where people win or lose, but as an essential human need. His point was simple: with a decent home, anything is possible, but without one, life’s potential feels impossible.