WORCESTER’S parliamentary candidates have clashed over affordable housing – with Labour’s Joy Squires accusing Robin Walker of “smoke and mirrors”.

Mr Walker, the city Conservative, has leapt on figures showing how 112 social houses were built in Worcester during the 2014/15 financial year, when the Tories controlled the city council.

In 2013/14 the tally was 76, when a Labour administration was in charge, missing the annual target of 80 and 30 per cent less than the previous year of Tory rule.

Mr Walker said: “It is striking that Labour’s dismal record on affordable homes continued during their brief period in council control.

“Despite a recovering economy and a housing market that was rallying they failed to meet their targets and delivered almost a third fewer affordable homes than the Conservative administration in the previous year.

“The good news is that this failure has already been reversed.

“In local government, Labour have consistently failed to live up to their promises on this and in national government their record is equally as bad.”

Cllr Squires said: “Robin Walker is playing game of political smoke and mirrors by denigrating Labour’s record in 2013/14.

“Anyone who understands anything about affordable housing knows it can take years for an affordable housing scheme to reach fruition so simply talking about numbers delivered in a particular year is nonsense.

“The thousands of Worcester families in desperate need of an affordable home will not thank him for playing politics with their plight.

“A future Labour Government will prioritise capital investment in social and affordable housing unlike the Tories.”