This particular Friday the 13^th was always going to unlucky for some. Housing has barely been mentioned by Conservatives during the election campaign, so we need to look at the party manifesto to understand what Boris Johnson, former mayor of London and champion of the London Housing Design Guide, has in store.

If you heard his short victory speech this morning you will have heard him say it’s the largest Conservative majority since Margaret Thatcher’s re-election in 1983. The parallels don’t end there. Like Thatcher, Boris is unashamedly focusing on homeownership, has pledged to keep Right to Buy and is committed to “further planning reform”. Interestingly, while 300,000 a year remains the target, the commitment is to 200,000.

The manifesto (Get Brexit Done: Unleash Britain’s Potential) is, um… mostly about Brexit. The first mention of housing is in the context of social care, on page 12: “Nobody needing care should be forced to sell their home to pay for it.” Sounds reasonable until you realise that the implication is that you will still be expected to spend your savings – nothing could disincentivise downsizing more than this. Buying the biggest home you can would appear to be the best way to get state-funded social care while still passing on your major asset.

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