Rachel Reeves has warned Labour politicians including Sadiq Khan and Ed Miliband not to stand in her way when it comes to economic growth.
The Chancellor has laid out a ruthless approach to those questioning her plans for boosting the UK’s economy, expressing no qualms about knocking back “small pressure groups” and “blockers” who “put their own interests above those of the country”.
Referring to anyone across the political divide who might oppose her Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which will include new infrastructure reforms set to be announced next week, Ms Reeves told The Sunday Telegraph that anyone blocking it would be “defying the will of the country and [stifling] economic growth”.
While sources told the newspaper that the comments were aimed at MPs “in either House, Tory or Labour”, only Labour politicians would be able to block the Bill – with many assuming that the hardline message was directed at left-wing party members with whom the Chancellor has clashed on green policies.
The Bill will be introduced to Parliament in the spring and a speech next week is expected to change planning rules to push through more housing developments near train stations and support airport expansions at Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton.
The Bill will aim to remove further restrictions preventing new projects being approved and has been viewed by net zero-allegient Labour members as a prioritisation of growth over the government’s net zero commitment.
The environment-first message has been touted especially enthusiastically by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, who has described net zero’s pursuit as “unstoppable” and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who has threatened legal action over the green-lighting of a third runway at Heathrow.
Ms Reeves has effectively warned them not to impede the progress of her dogged efforts to get the country growing, however, telling the Telegraph: “This Government was elected on a mandate for change and we will not tolerate blockers who put their own interests above those of the country.
“Of course, there is room for robust debate and challenge and it’s right that developers are required to consult local communities and expert bodies when making planning decisions.
“But we won’t tolerate blocking for blocking’s sake, be that from small pressure groups who have had an oversized say on the future of our economy or in Parliament.”
The pressure seems to be working – with the Liberal Democrat-proposed Climate and Nature Bill, holding the government to legally binding climate change targets, failing to clear its first hurdle in the House of Commons on Friday despite a predicted rebellion from backbench MPs.
The Treasury has also waged war on the Environmental Impact Assessment stage of the planning process, suggesting that they have “strayed from their original purpose of supporting decision making” and instead become “voluminous and costly documents that too often support legal challenges rather than the environment”.
The bid to streamline planning at a local and national level is part of the Government’s pledge to cut red tape and meet its target of building 1.5 million homes in the UK over five years.
Nine nationally-significant infrastructure projects have been approved since Keir Starmer became Prime Minister, including airports, housing developments and energy farms.
