Keir Starmer says too many 'at sharp end of housing crisis' this Christmas

Government figures have shown rough sleeping on the rise while the number of children in temporary accommodation - such as B&Bs and hostels - is at a record high

Too many people will be at the "sharp end" of the country's broken housing system this Christmas, Keir Starmer has warned.

Figures have shown rough sleeping on the rise while the number of children in temporary accommodation - such as B&Bs and hostels - is at a record high.

The Mirror has also revealed the scandal of the "hidden homeless" with nearly twice as many women now sleeping rough than official figures show. This is because they keep a lower profile than men due to the risk of violence.

In a message to the Big Issue in their Christmas magazine edition, the PM made clear he recognised the scale of the crisis. He said: "As winter closes in and temperatures drop, too many people will be on the sharp end of our broken housing system this Christmas"

The PM described his own family home growing up as the "base camp from which I could learn and grow".

"Some years later, as a lawyer, many of my first cases were fighting for families at risk of homelessness, because I wanted every child to have that security I had."

Mr Starmer added: "I've always believed people with skin in the game make the best decisions. That's why we are also fixing the foundations of local government.

"We have already given councils more flexibility to use Right to Buy receipts to build and buy more social homes. That's on top of an additional £450 million for councils to secure homes for families at risk of homelessness."

But Lord John Bird, founder of the Big Issue, who has challenged the Government to take harder action on homelessness, said: "This is a crisis our new Government must get to grips with, urgently. We can't afford to wait for better economic times to roll over the hill."

"We must do all we can to deal with the crisis of homelessness and rough sleeping, but we have also to start reducing the number of people falling into it. The billion upon billion spent on people in poverty only maintains them in poverty; brings them relief, but not exit."