Andy Burnham in his very first speech as prime minister in July stood on the steps of Downing Street and proclaimed, “we will build more council homes.”

It is a pledge he repeated several times during his first weeks in the job, prompting debate in housing circles as to whether Burnham means council housing in the literal sense – meaning homes directly delivered by local authorities – or whether he is using it as a catch-all term for social housing, including homes delivered by other organisations such as housing associations.

Any doubt about his meaning has now been banished.

In his party conference speech in Liverpool last month, Burnham not only pledged “the biggest council housebuilding programme since the post-war era” but he confirmed he wants to boost council delivery in particular, and for ideological reasons.

He said: “I am specific about council homes because we need to restore stronger democratic control over our housing stock.”