Unite general secretary says mood music at Labour conference is that Labour are ‘taking away from the poorest’Starmer vows to protect public services from fresh austerityLabour heads to conference in a spinInterview: Starmer defends his recordLabour is today announcing plans for what it describes as “planning passports” to enable homes to be build more easily in urban areas. Toby Helm has written up the story for the Observer.The Labour party has now sent out a news release. There are two features to the announcement.The proposals, set out in a call for evidence, aim to accelerate urban densification by setting high standards for design and quality, which, if met, will mean then the default answer will be yes.Only by building denser cities can we drive growth and prosperity across the country, because denser cities mean people are closer to work, have better transport infrastructure, and business has the widest talent pool. This sort of gentle density, with multi-storey townhouses built in a style that is loved by local residents, already exists in pockets of UK cities, like Kensington and Chelsea in London, Manchester’s Northern Quarter or Edinburgh New Town, and is commonplace across European cities.Working alongside our mayors and local leaders, the new planning passports will put rocket boosters under housebuilding. They mean that where development proposals meet design and quality standards, the default answer will be yes, not no. Because I mean what I said before the election: Labour are the party of aspiration, security and growth. We don’t shy away from tough decisions. We are the builders, not the blockers. Continue reading…
Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2024/sep/22/keir-starmer-angela-rayner-labour-party-conference-latest-live-news
Author : Andrew Sparrow
Publish date : 2024-09-22 10:15:17
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Unite leader Sharon Graham accuses Labour of ‘walking us into austerity mark 2’ – Labour conference live
