The government's commitment to boosting council housing is in stark contrast to the Tories' plans aimed at the better-off, Unite, the largest union in the country, has announced.

Unite was commenting on the announcement by Housing Minister, John Healey, which doubled government cash for new council homes.

Unite Deputy General Secretary, Jack Dromey, said: "Labour is building Britain out of recession, meeting the need for affordable and energy-efficient homes by putting unemployed construction workers back to work and creating apprenticeship opportunities for the young. And councils will be centre-stage as a new generation of council homes go up.

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"The contrast with the Tories could not be starker. For Labour, decent homes; for Cameron, stately homes with an inheritance tax bonanza for Notting Hill and the richest 3,000 estates in Britain."

Mr Healey said 73 councils covering every region of England will share an extra £122.6 million. Councils will match the government's grant, bringing total public investment in the programme to over £500 million to build more than 4,000 new council homes for 8,000 people.

(CD/GK)