The head of an influential right-leaning thinktank has called on the next prime minister to use a government ‘stick’ to ensure the building of new homes.

Robert Colvile, director of the Centre for Policy Studies, in a Sunday Times column yesterday, criticised Conservative leadership contenders Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss for their reluctance to commit to a plan to build large numbers of homes.

Truss has vowed to drop what she terms as ‘Stalinist’ house building targets despite the Conservatives having a manifesto pledge to build 300,000 homes a year by the middle of the decade. Sunak, meanwhile, has said he would stop housebuilding on the green belt.