In this piece, I want to focus on the timely question of what role the State should play in relation to the tens of thousands of homes for which planning permission has been granted but where work has not started – and is unlikely to. Or rather, I think it better to think in terms of the roles – plural rather than singular – that the State could and will play. Ultimately, the question comes down to which of five distinct roles the State could play, and to what extent: as referee, as consumer, as funder, as developer or as…