…”In the 30 years after 1948, council house building never fell below 100,000 a year and often approached 250,000 but by the 1990’s local authorities had virtually stopped building new homes …”.

Book review, Sunday Times Culture: “Something will turn up” by David Smith

Social and affordable house building on this scale was accomplished during at least two big recessions in that period.

Now? Well, it’s a free market … which means build the lowest quality housing on the best sites and sell it for the biggest profit you can get.