Rachel Reeves has admitted taxes will likely be raised in the October Budget to fill a £22 billion black hole in public finances. The chancellor said Labour would stick to its election manifesto promises not to raise national insurance, income tax or VAT, but left open the possibility for other tax hikes at the Budget in October. It comes as the Ms Rayner declared that the UK is living the “most acute housing crisis in living history” as she announced a radical reform to the country’s housing planning system. Ms Reeves spending announcement has sparked a Labour rebellion among backbenchers with Diane Abbott labelling the chancellors’ public cuts plan a “renewed austerity”. Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has played down backlash among Labour backbenchers at the government’s housing plan to impose housebuilding targets for councils. Following her speech in the Commons, the housing secretary has launched an expert taskforce to spearhead Labour’s plans for a fresh generation of new towns, which the new government says will create communities of at least 10,000 homes each.
Rachel Reeves admits she will raise taxes in October as Angela Rayner plays down Labour rebellion on housing targets – UK politics latest
Rachel Reeves accuses Jeremy Hunt of lying over £22bn spending hole
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Rachel Reeves has admitted taxes will likely be raised in the October Budget to fill a £22 billion black hole in public finances.
The chancellor said Labour would stick to its election manifesto promises not to raise national insurance, income tax or VAT, but left open the possibility for other tax hikes at the Budget in October.
It comes as the Ms Rayner declared that the UK is living the “most acute housing crisis in living history” as she announced a radical reform to the country’s housing planning system.
Ms Reeves spending announcement has sparked a Labour rebellion among backbenchers with Diane Abbott labelling the chancellors’ public cuts plan a “renewed austerity”.
Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has played down backlash among Labour backbenchers at the government’s housing plan to impose housebuilding targets for councils.
Following her speech in the Commons, the housing secretary has launched an expert taskforce to spearhead Labour’s plans for a fresh generation of new towns, which the new government says will create communities of at least 10,000 homes each.
Key Points
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Councils will ‘have’ to release green belt land for building
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has confirmed local authorities may be forced to release green belt land to make space for new housing.
Mr Pennycook told Sky News: “So what local councils will face is when they’re putting their plans in place, a sequential test for releasing land.
“Brown field first, then grey belt, then in extremis, green belt land.
“But if they don’t have those local plans in place, or they’re not performing adequately against their housing targets, grey belt land could be released, through that route.”
Salma Ouaguira31 July 2024 07:45
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Renewable energy budget boosted to £1.5bn as record funding allocated
The UK’s renewable energy budget has been increased to a record £1.5 billion, Ed Miliband announced on Wednesday.
Of that, £1.1 billion will be allocated for offshore wind, which the government described as “the backbone of the UK’s clean energy mission”.
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke has the full story:
Salma Ouaguira31 July 2024 07:37
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Badenoch dismisses bullying claims as ‘smears’ amid Tory leadership bid
Kemi Badenoch has dismissed accusations that she bullied civil service staff while serving as business secretary as “smears”.
The Conservative MP, now shadow communities secretary, is alleged to have created an intimidating atmosphere at the Department of Business and Trade in a report by the Guardian newspaper.
“Let’s be clear: these allegations are smears from former staff who I sacked after they were accused of bullying behaviour, lying about other colleagues to cover up their own failures and general gross incompetence,” Ms Badenoch wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“Intolerable behaviour I would not stand for,” she added.
The Tory former minister, among those running to be the party’s next leader, also claimed the Department of Business and Trade had confirmed there were no complaints and no investigations against her.
She said the accusations would not “stop me or my campaign” and claimed her bid to be the next Conservative leader following the party’s general election rout had “spooked the lefties and now they’re coming for the one person they know can beat Keir Starmer”.
Ms Badenoch, the MP for North West Essex, added: “The renewal of my party and the country is too important to let the Guardian, acting for the Labour Party, disrupt.”
A spokesman for Ms Badenoch added that she has “high standards and expectations, and she has cultivated high-performing civil service teams who enjoy working with her”.
Kemi Badenoch is the bookmakers’ favourite in the Tory leadership race (Lucy North/PA) (PA Wire)
Salma Ouaguira31 July 2024 07:29
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Housing minister condemns ‘absolutely appalling’ Southport riots
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has condemned the “absolutely appalling” scenes of riots in Southport last night.
At least 39 police officers have been injured in clashes outside a mosque in Southport, as angry crowds of suspected English Defence League supporters threw bricks and set off fireworks.
The unrest followed a peaceful vigil for the victims of Monday’s shocking attack in which multiple children were stabbed in a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
He told Sky News: “And to have their space for them to process the trauma, to grieve, overshadowed by this violence and disorder, I think is completely despicable.
“And the home secretary and the prime minister have made clear that those responsible will feel the full force of the law, and rightly so.”
The cabinet minister said he cannot speak about the reason Sir Keir Starmer was heckled by some people but claimed the prime minister was “warmly welcomed” in Southport.
He added the issue behind the riots was ”people coming in from outside Merseyside who aren’t local to try and stir up public disorder”.
(Sky News)
Salma Ouaguira31 July 2024 07:27
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Rachel Reeves admits taxes will rise in first Labour budget in October
The chancellor has admitted the government will have to raise some taxes in October’s budget after months of spiraling rumours about Labour’s tax plans.
Asked about how she will raise money to plug the £22bn black hole in public finances, she told the News Agents podcast: “I think we will have to increase taxes in the Budget.”
It comes as Labour insisted there would be no tax rises for “working poeple” during the general election campaign. But the Tories repeatedly claimed the party would increase them if it comes to power.
Ms Reeves repeated the Labour manifesto commitment of no VAT, national insurance, or income tax increases, but did not rule out inheritance tax, capital gains tax, or pension reform.
She said: “I’m not going to write a Budget or start to write a Budget on this podcast.”
The minister added that Labour plans to stick to “sensible” rules in a bid to bring the government’s longer-term debts down.
(via REUTERS)
Salma Ouaguira31 July 2024 07:22
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Peer accused of Islamophobia over ‘disgusting’ House of Lords speech
Salma Ouaguira31 July 2024 07:20
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Poll: One in three people think university is not worth time and money
Nearly a third of people think a university education is not worth the time and money, a poll has found.
More than three in four people think opportunities for apprenticeships should be increased, according to research by the Policy Institute at King’s College London (KCL).
The public are “more sceptical” that going to university is worth the investment, the report suggested.
The study, which surveyed more than 2,600 British people in May and more than 1,000 in June, found that 31% agreed that university education is not worth the amount of time and money it usually takes.
This is higher than in 2018 when fewer than a fifth (18%) of the public said university was not worth it.
Nearly twice as many people want greater opportunities for apprenticeships (76%) than greater opportunities to go to university (39%), according to the poll which was conducted with Focaldata.
The study, which included a poll of 369 parents of children aged 11-17 in the UK, suggested that nearly two in five (37%) of this group feel degrees are not good value for money compared to 10 years ago.
The findings come after university leaders have warned of significant financial concerns as a result of frozen tuition fees paid by domestic students and a drop in overseas students.
Nearly three in five (59%) parents of children aged 11 to 17 said it is likely their child will apply to university, or that they’ve already applied, which is down on 2014 (65%).
Nearly half (48%) said they would prefer their child to study an apprenticeship, while 40% said they would prefer them to do a degree, according to the poll.
(PA Wire)
Salma Ouaguira31 July 2024 07:14
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Expert taskforce launched to plan fresh generation of new towns
An expert taskforce is being launched to spearhead Labour’s plans for a fresh generation of new towns.
The towns, which the new government says will create communities of at least 10,000 homes each, are billed as a part of the largest housebuilding programme since the post-war period.
Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, has asked two experts to lead the independent New Towns Taskforce.
Its chair, Sir Michael Lyons, has played leading roles in regeneration development company the English Cities Fund, as well as in local government, and has sat on the board of housing developers.
Deputy chair Dame Kate Barker is a housing economist who also chairs a major universities pension scheme and was an external member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee between 2001 and 2010.
While some of the new communities set to be built through the programme will be separate from existing towns, others will be urban extensions and regeneration schemes of existing places.
Ms Rayner has insisted the taskforce will “work together with local people to help us decide on the right places for these new towns, delivering more homes, jobs and green spaces”.
The communities will be governed by a “New Towns Code”, a set of rules for developers to ensure the towns are well-connected with infrastructure and public services, are well-designed, sustainable and are nice looking places.
The deputy prime minister’s appointment of Sir Michael and Dame Kate comes a day after she announced an overhaul of the planning system to pave the way for 1.5 million new homes over the next five years to tackle England’s acute housing crisis.
Salma Ouaguira31 July 2024 07:04
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VOICES John Rentoul: Sidelined? No – Angela Rayner’s ambitious housing plan may be the making of her
The new deputy prime minister’s first big outing in the Commons was her chance to prove that she has not been pushed to the political margins by Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves – and she delivered in spades, says John Rentoul:
Salma Ouaguira31 July 2024 07:02
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Labour ‘failed another generation’ with axing of social care reforms
Salma Ouaguira31 July 2024 07:00
Read the full story on www.independent.co.uk
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tax-rises-labour-reeves-rayner-housing-starmer-badenoch-latest-b2588627.html