Labour will ignore local opposition if it has to to deliver more homes, says Starmer – UK politics live

"Labour Overrides Local Protests For Housing, Says Starmer"

Keir Starmer stated that he is willing to disregard the resistance from locals towards the construction of houses in Britain to fulfill his objective of speeding up the building process.

Additionally, he stated that he wouldn't endure any resistance from Labour MPs towards his proposals for constructing houses.

In the previous year, Rishi Sunak discarded the idea of compulsory national goals for building houses due to strong resistance from his fellow MPs. A lot of them come from areas with green belts where constructing residential properties is generally not favored by local inhabitants.

The plan of the Labour party for constructing houses is largely based on making changes in the laws related to planning. The party is not going to prohibit people from raising their concerns, but aims to reduce the amount of time that some projects can be delayed.

During a conversation with the Today show, Starmer was inquired about his readiness to convey to individuals that although they've voiced their concerns, their worries are being dismissed. In response, he stated:

Absolutely. It's imperative that we tackle this issue. But rest assured, it won't be a haphazard effort. The challenge we face is that at present, planning is heavily concentrated within specific, limited regions.

We don't have the capacity to analyze a bigger region and determine the ideal spot for a new development or a new settlement. As a result, we have to push through with it but in a practical way.

Let me be straightforward: we cannot repeat the actions of past administrations in regards to housing, or else we will remain stuck in the same predicament we are currently in. For the past 13 years, we have been discussing housing, but have failed to make significant progress.

When asked about his previous disagreement with the proposal to extend HS2 to Euston, which falls within his constituency of Holborn and St Pancras, Starmer expressed that MPs have the right to represent their voters, yet the government has a distinct responsibility.

It is natural and appropriate that particular Members of Parliament will always advocate for the interests of their respective localities.

The government plays a distinct role, which is to carry out major initiatives, and it is crucial to strike a balance in delivering them effectively.

During an interview with Times Radio, he made it clear that he would not allow Labour MPs to obstruct his proposed plans in the same manner that Conservative MPs rejected the compulsory housing objectives.

We must be firm with anyone who opposes our goals, and this includes Labour MPs who claim to support our plan but do not support it in practice.

The Conservative party has stated that Labour is not reliable when it comes to constructing additional homes due to their vote against removing a river pollution law from the EU. This law was believed to be hindering the construction of around 100,000 homes, according to government officials. Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, released a statement through the Conservative Campaign Headquarters this morning, confirming this stance.

This morning's news has exposed that Sir Keir Starmer's primary plan was aimed to gain attention quickly rather than having a comprehensive, thoughtful strategy for the future.

Just recently, the Labour party opposed the creation of 100,000 new houses in order to gain publicity and cater to particular groups. This shows that they hinder progress instead of contributing to it.

'Bridget Phillipson: Labour Advocates For Neglected Youth'

At the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, expressed her commitment to the education of children who are currently being neglected by the government. In her address today, she stated that Labour plans to prioritize the education of "other people's children."

The focus on cutting back on degrees is not aimed at their own offspring, but rather at our children. They do not want their children's choices or opportunities to be limited.

The issue of student debt in nursing, particularly for those who are just starting out in life and aiming to purchase a house and start a family, is not something that concerns them personally. It belongs to the offspring of other individuals.

Phillipson expressed her plan to finance free breakfasts for primary schools by eliminating tax loopholes used by the wealthiest individuals worldwide. She also reiterated her commitment to impose Value Added Tax (VAT) on private school fees.

Phillipson addressed comments made by private school lobbyists who referred to her as "chippy" in private, stating that these remarks were inappropriate.

I have a statement to share with them: those who are determined can bring about meaningful changes. I am set to achieve the change that has significant impact.

Phillipson talked about fresh strategies to enhance the teaching of mathematics in elementary schools. Additionally, it was declared that the inspection of child protection services would be conducted by Sir David Bell, the current vice-chancellor of Sunderland university and former head of Ofsted, if the Labour party came into power.

The assessment will consider changing the workforce of childcare and methods to enhance nursery services in primary schools.

Phillipson suggested that alterations could be made to the way university fees are paid, stating that Labour will modify the approach students take to finance their studies. However, no specific information was provided regarding these changes.

"Waving Palestinian Flags In Certain Areas May Be A Criminal Offense, States Starmer During Israel-Hamas Conflict."

Here are a few additional statements made by Keir Starmer during recent interviews regarding the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Starmer chose not to dispute Suella Braverman’s statement that displaying Palestinian flags in certain neighborhoods during the Israel-Hamas conflict might be considered a violation of the law. Braverman, the home secretary, suggested this in a letter to the police, in which she called for them to take action against any intimidation of Jewish community members. She asserted that waving a Hamas flag in certain cases could qualify as a racially motivated Section 5 public order violation. When questioned on the LBC radio station, Starmer was asked if he concurred that displaying a Palestinian flag in particular Jewish areas of London might be considered a crime, to which he replied:

In my opinion, the outcome would rely on the situation.

Clearly, there have been incidents of aggression towards Jewish communities in the northern part of London. As someone who has experienced the consequences firsthand, I can attest that this is causing significant harm to the Jewish communities, which is understandable given that it is not the first time such incidents have occurred.

During these critical moments, it is crucial that we differentiate between discussing the Palestinian situation peacefully and associating it with Hamas.

The issue with flags is varied and reliant on the context. If it's inciting or motivating attacks, then that could be problematic. However, there could be other circumstances where it may not be a concern. Therefore, it's not necessary to focus solely on this specific behavior.

Starmer mentioned that he has relatives living in Israel. In addition, his spouse is of Jewish descent. He revealed this information during an interview with LBC.

We have relatives in Israel who are part of the bigger community there. They, like many others, are feeling deeply shocked about what is currently happening. There is a lot of fear and anxiety because even though they are aware that Israeli intelligence and security are constantly watching out for them, they still feel that they are in danger. Usually, there is a sense of protection from the authorities but, unfortunately, it seems like it didn't work this time. This has led to an overwhelming sense of anxiety among the people in Israel, and it's understandable given the current circumstances.

According to reports, he stated that it was justified for Israel to put Gaza under siege as a reaction to the violent acts carried out by Hamas. This was mentioned during an interview with LBC.

In my opinion, Israel is entitled to that privilege, as the matter is still unfolding.

Naturally, it is essential to comply with global regulations, but it's important to hold onto the fundamental beliefs that Israel deserves to safeguard herself and that Hamas is accountable for their violent actions.

He contended that it was Hamas who should take responsibility for the state of affairs faced by ordinary people residing in Gaza. When enquired about the difficult situation being faced by the inhabitants, he communicated to Sky News that it was incumbent upon the world to support Israel.

Starmer Asks BBC To Clarify Labeling Of Hamas Militants

Keir Starmer has expressed his concern regarding the BBC's usage of the term "militants" instead of "terrorists" when referring to Hamas, in their news reports on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. He has urged the BBC to provide an adequate explanation for their choice of language.

Following complaints from Conservative MPs, such as Grant Shapps, the UK's Secretary of the Department of Defence, who declared on GB News earlier today that Hamas is "undeniably terrorism," and that any other description would not accurately depict this reality. Similarly, Starmer made the same statement on LBC.

The BBC must provide a justification for their decision to avoid using the word "terrorist" in their reporting. Most individuals associate acts of violence with terrorism and use the term "terrorist" accordingly. Thus, it is incumbent upon the BBC to clarify their rationale for refraining from applying this label.

I've reached out to the BBC to get their take on Starmer and Shapps' comments earlier today. However, John Simpson, the former world affairs editor of BBC, shared his own interpretation on X last night.

British politicians are aware of the reason why the BBC refrains from using the term 'terrorist' and some of them have agreed with it in private. This is because using such a term would imply taking sides and compromising the impartiality that the broadcaster aims to uphold. The role of the BBC is to present the facts and allow the audience to form their own opinions without resorting to biased language or commentary. This approach has made the BBC one of the most widely consumed media outlets in the world, with nearly 500 million people tuning in to their broadcasts. Though some may wish for the BBC to engage in sensationalist reporting, this is not in line with their ethos.

The BBC refrains from using the word 'terrorist' for a specific reason according to British politicians who have an understanding of this. Numerous politicians have agreed with this approach in private conversations over the years. Referring to an individual as a 'terrorist' indicates that you have taken a stance and are no longer treating the matter with the required impartiality. The role of the BBC is to...

According to the style guide of the BBC:

The term "terrorist" can create obstacles instead of facilitating understanding, although it is not prohibited. It is crucial to attribute the source of the term whenever we do use it.

Phonics For Maths: Labour's Curriculum Review Plan

Bridget Phillipson, who holds the position of shadow education secretary, is currently providing her speech at the Labour conference.

According to Richard Adams' report, she expressed that the Labour party is proposing to do away with the requirement for mandatory maths classes until the age of 18, which was imposed by Rishi Sunak. Instead, they aim to enhance the way maths is being taught to young children and offer practical numeracy classes that align with real-life situations to pupils in England.

Labour Plans To Boost Housebuilding With Planning Rule Changes

Yesterday, Keir Starmer discussed Labour's strategies for changing the planning system. Although he touched on some of these plans in his speech, a much more detailed briefing was released by Labour after he had finished speaking. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like this briefing is available on the internet. As such, I am sharing it here to document it. This is what Labour calls its housing recovery plan.

When Angela Rayner starts her work as the deputy prime minister and secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities, she will release a document called a "written ministerial statement" and send a letter to all head planning officials. In these communications, she will direct local planning groups to authorize planning requests in regions that don't have a local plan in place and haven't passed important policy evaluations, like the housing delivery test.

This announcement will also indicate modifications to the National Planning Policy Framework, which will undo deals that the government gave to Conservative MPs in December 2022, bring back and impose mandatory local goals.

Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, stated that they plan to enhance the ability to plan, guaranteeing that all local authorities have an expert full-time planning officer on board. The strategic planning capacity of the government for housing and infrastructure will also expand and get more funding through the rise in stamp duty on foreign purchasers.

If local authorities fail to meet their obligations, a Labour administration would collaborate with the planning inspectorate to use all possible tools to construct residences. This could include a range of interventions, from mediation to more severe measures like implementing ‘call-in’ powers or designating local planning authorities.

Angela Rayner has made it known that the Affordable Homes Programme will be made more flexible. This is so that Homes England can provide assistance for the completion of projects on sites that were previously approved for construction but were stopped for various reasons. This may be due to high interest rates or economic uncertainty that made it impractical.

In addition to resolving the delay in the planning process, the Labour Party intends to modify the system to hasten planning authorizations while enhancing community input on how construction projects can benefit local neighborhoods. The emphasis will shift from determining whether residences are constructed at all to guaranteeing that the local arrangement guides the planning system entirely. This will create a genuinely planning-oriented system.

The Labour Party plans to enhance the assumption that developments must comply with local plans. They aim to streamline the approval process for projects that are in line with plans and give greater rights to communities to challenge unapproved and speculative developments, should the requirements be met.

We aim to enhance openness, surveillance, and implementation of rules to ensure that current local plans are kept updated within specific deadlines for their renewal. Additionally, we plan to establish a 'fallback' alternative, enabling either the government or planning inspectorate to formulate local plans when they have been severely and overwhelmingly delayed.

With our improved system in place, we are decreasing the requirements for applying directly to the planning inspectorate to ensure that the decision-making process runs more efficiently.

We're going to give the planning officers more power to allow smaller sites to be approved if they comply with the plan. They won't need to go to the planning committee. We'll also clarify that advice given by officers before an application is submitted is an important factor in the decision-making process. Additionally, we'll put in a period of time where council members have to consider their decision again if they don't agree with the advice given by the officers.

We will offer advice on environmental solutions that are readily available to reduce the need for countless surveys and to avoid the annoying setback of application denials.

Furthermore, Labour is planning to boost the planning capability by imposing higher stamp duty charges on foreign buyers. Additionally, they will quicken the government's initiative to raise the charges for planning applications. Moreover, there is a possibility of implementing more measures to improve the planning resources, and the revenue generated from these charges will be used solely for this purpose.

We'll also disclose HM Land Registry data to the public to enhance the openness of land ownership. This will help prevent landowners from having an effective veto power over local plans due to an obscure land market.

Starmer: Labour Will Prioritize Housing Over Local Opposition

According to recent statements by Keir Starmer, the acceleration of housebuilding in Britain is a top priority. So much so, that he has indicated a willingness to disregard opposition from local communities when it comes to development projects.

He further stated that he wouldn't endure it if Labour MPs attempted to obstruct his strategies for constructing homes.

In the previous year, Rishi Sunak discarded his proposal to establish compulsory nationwide aims for constructing houses due to the extensive disapproval from his fellow MPs. Most of them represent regions that are known for the protection of the natural environment and are often resistant to the construction of residential areas.

Labour's strategy for increasing housing construction relies primarily on making changes to planning regulations. While communities will still be able to voice their concerns, Labour would like to restrict the amount of delays that certain projects can face.

During a chat with the Today show, Starmer was questioned about whether he'd be open to telling individuals, "We acknowledge your concerns, but unfortunately, we can't address them." He responded:

Agreed. We need to take action on that matter. However, it won't be a simplistic task. One issue we are facing currently is that planning is extensively restricted within specific regions.

We are not able to survey a larger region and determine the ideal location for a new development or even a new town. As a result, we have to plow right through it. However, we need to be practical when it comes to our approach.

Let me make myself clear: We cannot repeat the mistakes of past governments and expect different results. The topic of housing has been discussed for over a decade now, but unfortunately, little progress has been made.

When Starmer was questioned about his previous disapproval of the HS2 expansion to Euston, located in his own constituency of Holborn and St Pancras, he explained that it's understandable for MPs to support their voters, however, the government has a distinct duty. Starmer shared that MPs should prioritize the well-being of the community they represent, but the government must also consider the national benefits and make decisions accordingly.

It's completely reasonable and justifiable for MPs to defend the interests of their local communities, which will inevitably happen.

The duties of the government are markedly diverse. The government's purpose is to execute major initiatives. It is imperative that we find an equilibrium between the two.

During an interview with Times Radio, he made it clear that he wouldn't allow Labour MPs to obstruct his proposals, similar to how Conservative MPs rejected compulsory housing objectives.

We must display firmness towards anyone who obstructs the achievement of our goal, including Labour MPs who claim to support our objective but are not willing to take action.

During his interview with LBC, Keir Starmer mentioned that he believed the protestor who disrupted his speech the other day was attempting to bring him down. Mr. Starmer stated that there was a physical altercation between the two of them. He further added:

I refused to back down from the podium and was determined to give my speech. It felt reminiscent of a soccer game, where someone is attempting to steal the ball from me. I drew inspiration from Arsenal, of course.

Starmer's Conference Speech Targets 'inner Soul' Of British Public

Hello there! This morning, Keir Starmer has been giving interviews and he used an impactful expression to describe his intentions with his conference speech yesterday. He stated that he aimed to connect with "the deepest part of the British public".

During his interview with Radio 5 Live, he expressed.

Yesterday, my focus wasn't on creating extensive policies with multiple layers. We have already developed plenty of policies in the past year.

My aim was to connect with the deep emotions of the British people who have experienced 13 years of decline, with their hope being almost destroyed. The purpose was to communicate that we can make progress, rebuild what is destroyed, heal wounds, and if we are determined enough, we can create a decade of national revitalization.

This clarifies the meaning behind the phrase "we are the healers" mentioned in the speech. If you want a complete overview, you can read Pippa Crerar's article.

Rosa Prince from Politico has a great summary of the response, suggesting that the general public's innermost feelings might be positively reacting.

According to Peter Walker's report, during his media appearances this morning, Starmer stated that he is taking measures to ensure that all of his policy promises are foolproof, in order to prevent a future Labour government from reneging on its commitments.

I will share a complete overview of the Starmer media session in a few moments.

Today at lunchtime, the Labour conference in Liverpool will come to a close. Although many may feel as though it's already finished now that Starmer has given his speech, there are still some noteworthy speakers left. This morning, we can look forward to hearing from Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, and Jonathan Ashworth, a shadow Cabinet Office minister.

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