Britain’s housing crisis: Another Brexit disaster

Jon Danzig | 17 February 2025

Those paying attention have seen this coming for years.

Britain does not have enough skilled workers to meet Labour’s ambitious target of building 1.5 million homes over the next five years.

This stark reality was highlighted on the front page of The Independent on 17 February 2025, yet Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner insists it’s no excuse. But excuses are irrelevant – facts remain facts.

Post-Brexit and post-Covid, Britain is suffering a chronic shortage of both skills and workers.

The construction sector is no exception.

Without a sufficient workforce, housing plans remain just that – plans. This is precisely why Britain now relies on millions of migrant workers to fill gaps in industries ranging from healthcare to agriculture and, crucially, construction.

The truth is, this crisis was avoidable.

When Britain was part of the EU, workers from our own continent could travel freely to meet labour demand. This fluid workforce ensured industries had the people they needed, when they needed them. But Brexit shattered that dynamic.

Now, in a desperate scramble to plug the gaps, the government – whether Tory or Labour – is handing out work visas to hundreds of thousands of people from countries thousands of miles away, including India, the Philippines, and Nigeria.

Yet, even with these efforts, it’s still not enough.

The result? A nation unable to house its people, spiralling construction costs, and projects stalled due to workforce shortages. This is the tangible cost of Brexit.

Had we remained in the EU, Britain wouldn’t be in this predicament.

European builders, engineers, and tradespeople who once came and went with ease are now entangled in red tape – or simply staying away. And with them, the possibility of meeting Britain’s housing targets disappears.

This isn’t an abstract issue.

The housing shortage is worsening the cost-of-living crisis, pushing homeownership further out of reach for millions, and deepening social inequality.

1.5 million homes aren’t just a political talking point – they are a necessity for a functioning, fair society.

There is a solution, but neither major party has the courage to embrace it.

Eventually, a government with foresight will emerge – one that understands the need to reverse the damage and bring Britain back to economic and social sanity.

That means rejoining the EU.

Britain doesn’t have to suffer needlessly when the remedy is clear. It’s only a matter of time before the electorate demands it.