Sir Keir Starmer has promised to “get tough” with any Labour MPs who oppose new housing in their own constituency as he aims to rip up planning red tape to build more homes.
The Labour leader, who has promised to “bulldoze” his way to 1.5 million homes said he would stand up to his own party if they side by so-called nimbys – those who say “not in my back yard”.
Promising that he would overcome “nimby” Labour MPs, he told Times Radio: “We are going to have to be tough with anybody who stands in the way of that and that will include any Labour MPs who say, ‘Well, I’m signed up to the project but just not here’.”
It comes as Sir Keir attacked the “idiot” protester who threw glitter over him at the start of his conference speech – saying he was “determined” not to let the activist distract from his message.
“I didn’t want that idiot to interrupt that and I don’t want that idiot to dominate what I’ve got to say today,” he said – before joking that the glitter was a “nightmare” to get off.
Sir Keir also told the BBC that his speech had tried to “reach the inner soul of the British public” who have had “13 years of hope almost beaten out of them, and to say we can go forward, what is ruined can be rebuilt, wounds do heal”.
Sir Keir said he was confident he could hit his ambitious house-building plans – which would include plans for the next generation of new towns like those introduced by the Atlee post-war Labour government.
The Labour leader, who spoke against the impact of HS2 on his own constituency in north London, said concerns of local MPs like him would sometimes have to be overridden in the national interest.
“You will always get, and quite understandably and quite rightly, individual MPs standing up for the communities in their patch,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today. “The role of government is obviously different. The role of government is to deliver on big projects.”
Keir Starmer delivers leader’s speech with glitter on shoulders— (Getty Images)
Asked if he would be prepared to tell nimbys, ‘We hear you, but I’m afraid we’re ignoring you’, Sir Keir said: “Yes. We’re going to have to do that. Now, that’s not going to be a crude exercise. I think one of the problems we have is that planning is at the moment very, very localised.”
Grilled on BBC Breakfast on where funding would come from for new towns, Mr Starmer said he was “confident” bidders will come forward. “My instinct is that we’ll get more bids than we think”.
Under Labour’s plans, companies will get powers to buy land at lower prices, without having to factor in the current increase in the value to get potential planning permission.
In a bid to create 300,000 new homes a year, developers will get “planning passports” to build more easily on brownfield land, while low-quality green belt areas will be released for development.
Reminded on ITV’s Good Morning Britain that parties had promised to build millions of homes in the past, Sir Keir conceded that “politicians have promised before”, before adding: “I’m not prepared for us not to deliver.”
The Labour leader said he had been “bombproofing” the party’s promised in the past year. “I will not put anything before the electorate after what they’ve been through, which I do not think is credible, that can’t be delivered.”
Keir Starmer and deputy leader Angela Rayner want series of new towns— (PA Wire)
Meanwhile, Sir Keir continued to emphasis his strong support for Israel’s “right to defend herself” after the shock attack by Hamas.
Asked if Israel has a right to lay siege to Gaza, the Labour leader told BBC 5Live: “I think Israel has the right to defend herself in the face of appalling and shocking terrorism – the cold-blooded murder of men, women and children.”
Asked if the bombardment of Gaza worries him, he said: “Responsibility lies with Hamas. We need to be really clear about that … It is important in moments like this we make it clear we stand with Israel.”
Sir Keir also said the colours of the Israel flag should be displayed at the Wembley arch for England’s match this Saturday, as the FA deliberates whether to do so. He told LBC: “I do think they should be on the arch. I think a message needs to go out that we stand with Israel.”
He also said waving a Palestinian flag on the streets of Britain could be an issue depending on the circumstances. “If it’s provoking or encouraging attacks that might be one thing, there might be other situations.”
Labour’s conference draws to a close on Wednesday with a focus on public service reforms and greater use of technology in the NHS. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting will tell activists a Labour government would “turn the NHS on its head” – arguing that reform is more important than pouring money into a health system “that isn’t working”.
He will warn that the NHS faces bankruptcy unless it is overhauled as he sets out plans to shift its focus from hospitals to providing more care in the community, from sickness to prevention.
