Sadiq Khan focuses on housing at London mayoral campaign launch

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has pledged to double council home building if re-elected as he launched his mayoral campaign.

In his last two terms Labour mayor Mr Khan reached a government target of starting more than 116,000 affordable homes, but has only completed 65,000.

City Hall Conservatives said he failed to build enough affordable homes despite record investment.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer joined the launch event in Westminster.

At the event, held at a community centre, Mr Khan said City Hall data showed 23,000 council homes - those at between a third and half of market rents - had been started, while 8,079 were completed between 2018 and 2023.

He said, if re-elected, he would double this figure and commit to completing the building of 40,000 council homes by the end of the decade - although a third term would only run until 2028.

Sir Keir did not specifically promise more investment for the capital but he said re-electing Mr Khan would be the first step in getting a Labour mayor and prime minister combination, which could "transform" London.

He praised Mr Khan for "dedicating himself to public service and making a difference to our communities".

Mr Khan said he could "go even further" with plans if there was a new Labour government.

"A Labour government would be transformative, propelling us forwards and helping to accelerate delivery of the homes Londoners desperately need and deserve," he said.

As part of his mayoral campaign Mr Khan is also expected to highlight his other achievements so far, including a freeze on Transport for London pay-as-you-go fares and providing free school lunches to Year 3 to 6 primary school pupils, and the controversial expansion of the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (Ulez) to cover the whole of London.

City Hall Conservatives said Mr Khan had not delivered enough homes so far and was set to build fewer council homes in future.

Conservative London mayoral candidate Susan Hall said Mr Khan was "trying to pull the wool over people's eyes, by pledging a target that mostly consists of existing homes or those already started".

"He is not listening to Londoners, who are facing soaring rents because he is not building enough new homes," she added.

Ms Hall said she would restart the London Plan as mayor and "build more affordable family homes".

The government has provided £4.8bn for 27,000 affordable homes to be built by 2026 - but according to official estimates, London needs 30,000 every year.

A report by the London Assembly last November suggested home-building in the capital had dropped off, with the latest figures showing 700 affordable homes were started in the first half of last year.

The London Assembly report says the mayor is forecast to build 4,000 new social rent homes a year, compared with 7,500 a year currently.

Green Party mayoral candidate Zoe Garbett said the capital was "now well beyond a housing crisis".

"A Green mayor would go much further not just focusing on building new homes, but also acquiring more affordable housing on the open market using the powers and funding already available from government," she said.

"This means we'll get the homes we need, faster. I also have a plan to tackle the poor quality of many homes across the London."

Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate Rob Blackie said he would greatly increase the amount of all housing built.

"Children are stuck in temporary accommodation for years on end, tenants often have terrible housing and it's increasingly impossible to buy property without help from family," he said.

"We have to build far more private and social housing, so that we can get rents down."

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