Northumberland’s Labour group says affordable housing, whether owned or rented, has to be top priority.

Leader Scott Dickinson says: “The housing market in this country is out of control. The government has broken the link between work and being able to afford a home.

“The sad fact is that home ownership, particularly among young people, has gone down under Tory-led Britain.

“Most people want the stability and security of owning their home, but people can’t even get on the first rung of the property ladder. First time buyers are being squeezed out by foreign investors and second home owners.

“Labour councils like Manchester have settled on a definition of affordable which better reflects people’s lives. They define affordable housing costs as 30 percent of the current average gross household income of a Manchester resident, which is £27,000, which would work out as £8,100 a year.

“As well as increasing supply, a Labour government will ensure first time buyers can access homes that are built by giving them first dibs.

“This will also shape the kinds of homes developers are building, from those that attract investment to homes for first time buyers. Labour is the party of home ownership; the Tories are the party of speculators and developers.”

The first dibs policy will apply to homes for market sale, after social and other forms of affordable homes have been taken out and allocated by local authorities, so will have no impact on the provision of affordable housing.