Comment: housing London

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Part of the problem is that the Mayor's insistence that 50 per cent of homes in a development should be defined as affordable has not always delivered the highest possible number of new, low-price properties. Some schemes have been delayed or cancelled, where a more flexible approach might have delivered results. Others have included supposedly affordable units which, in fact, require far-higher-than-average earnings to buy.

The Mayor also risks more conflict with town halls by attacking the record of Conservative-run boroughs as he does today. He is set to acquire new planning and housing powers but it is unhelpful to politicise the housing issue by criticising councils elected by residents who do not want new development. And while provision by housing associations has gone up during his time in office, that is no thanks to him: they are not controlled by City Hall.

Mr Livingstone puts his finger on a key concern for the capital's residents. But his own initiatives have to date failed to solve a key problem for the capital - and it is hard to see today's measures transforming that situation.