Closing sumary
We’re closing this blog now, here’s a summary of the day’s main developments:
The prime minister has attempted to draw a line under the briefing row, saying he has “been assured that no briefing against ministers was done from No 10” and that he has “full confidence” in his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney
Wes Streeting, the health secretary, has said that he doesn’t know and doesn’t care whether Starmer is trying to identify the No 10 figure briefing against him.
Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, ruled out standing to be next Labour leader, saying having done it before was the ‘best inoculation’ against wanting it. He also said Starmer will sack whoever was responsible for the briefing against Wes Streeting if they are identified.
Hundreds of thousands of homeowners will lose their right to subsidies for eco-friendly heat pumps as a result of government plans to bring down energy bills at the budget.
Scotland’s auditor general has warned that the Scottish government can spend far less tax than it raises because Scotland’s earnings and employment growth has been much more sluggish than in the rest of the UK.
The controversial system of police and crime commissioners is to be abolished by the government.
London’s congestion charge will rise by 20% in January to £18 and electric vehicle drivers will be liable to pay to enter the heart of the capital for the first time.
The government’s planning reforms will contribute to a “knockout blow” for housebuilders, the Tories have claimed.
Shadow minister David Simmonds said the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will limit community say, encourage development on greenbelt land, and hammer homeowners while “duffing up developers”.
However, ministers said the Bill, which restores mandatory housing targets, legislates for a generation of new towns and revamps the planning system to make it harder to reject developments, will help unlock 1.5 million homes by 2029.
Updated
