Hunt says Labour plotted ‘great tax betrayal’ all along as Rayner scraps ‘beauty’ rule from new homes – live

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Shadow chancellorJeremy Hunt has accused the Labour governmento of plotting a “great tax betrayal” after Rachel Reeves accused the him of “lying” about the state of public finances.

The Tory MP claimed the Sir Keir Starmer’s government were planning to raise taxes “all along” but “they just didn’t have the courage to tell you”.

It comes as Rachel Reeves was accused of using the fierce attack that the Tories left £22bn hole in the public finances to justify tax rises.

The chancellor admitted the increases will come in the autumn Budget and insisted the government would stick to its promise not to hike national insurance, income tax or VAT, but former Tory chancellor Lord Hammond said the fierce accusations could be “preparing the pitch” for ditching Labour manifesto pledges.

Angela Rayner has removed the Tories’ beauty requirement from new planning rules for homes claiming that “beautiful means nothing really”.

The housing secretary has set up a new towns taskforce to local recommend sites will “to help decide on the right places for these new towns, delivering more homes, jobs and green spaces” as part of her radical reform to the country’s housing planning system.

Key Points

• Jeremy Hunt says Labour is plotting ‘great tax betrayal’
• Rayner defends scrapping ‘beauty’ housing rule
• Chancellor admits taxes will rise in first Labour budget
• Liz Truss mini-budget dragged into £22billion black hole row
• Labour MP investigated by standards watchdog
• Atkins warns Labour sends ‘dangerous message’ to striking doctors

Reeves will have to U-turn on winter fuel savings, warns ex-minister

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been warned that her plans to means test winter fuel payments will not be possible because of ageing computer systems.

Former pensions minister Guy Opperman, who ran benefits for pensioners between 2017 and 2022 and looked at means testing winter fuel payments, has issued a warning that the system in the Department for Workm and Pensions cannot cope with the changes Ms Reeves has proposed.

The chancellor announced that she would save almost £3 billion by ending winter fuel payments of £200 for over-70s and £800 for over-80s who are not on pension credit.

That means around 10 million out of the 11.5 million pensioners who received the payment will no longer get it and 7 milion of the 8.5 million households which received will no longer be entitled to the payment.

Our political correspondent David Maddox has the full story:

Reeves will be forced to U-turn on winter fuel means tests, warns former minister

The former minister who was in charge of pensioner benefits for five years has explained why Rachel Reeves’ plans to means test winter fuel payments will have to be ditched

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:

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

VOICES: Reeves’ urinal problem is about much more than a toilet...

Is having a urinal in the chancellor’s bathroom the worst thing in the world? Not really. But it does take the p***, Ryan Coogan writes:

Rachel Reeves’ urinal problem is about much more than a toilet...

Is having a urinal in the chancellor’s bathroom the worst thing in the world? Not really. But it does take the p***

Suella Braverman says Labour scrapping European committee is ‘beginning of the end’ for Brexit

Suella Braverman has dubbed Labour’s decision to scrap the European Scrutiny Committee the “beginning of the end” of Brexit.

Commons leader Lucy Powell on Tuesday announced plans to abolish the select committee, which was established in 1973 to scrutinise the government on EU affairs. This came as part of a wider reform of some of the MP select committees.

Select committees are small groups of MPs or members of the House of Lords that are set up to investigate a specific issue or policy in detail.

The former home secretary hit out at the decision on social media, saying it is “anti-democratic, lacking transparency and a disservice to the millions of British people who voted to deliver Brexit in 2016 and 2019.”

Ms Braverman added: “This is the beginning of the end of Brexit.” Our political correspondent Millie Cooke has the full story:

Braverman says Labour scrapping European committee is ‘beginning of end’ for Brexit

The former home secretary said the decision to scrap the European Scrutiny Committee is ‘anti-democratic’ and ‘lacking transparency’

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:

Renewable energy budget boosted to £1.5bn as record funding allocated for clean power

The funding uplift represents more than a 50 per cent increase on the budget previously set in March

Former Tory chancellor claims UK needs foreign builders to meet 1.5m housing target

Lord Hammond has warned Labour’s plan to build 1.5million more houses will not be materialised unless the government allows more builders to come to the UK.

The Tory former chancellor said there is “social pressure for new housing” as well as an “urgent economic need to regenerate the housebuilding sector”.

He told Sky News: “But I think it is not just about planning reform. You can’t build houses without builders and if the government thinks relaxing the planning rules while tightening the migration rules is going to get houses built I think they are going to have another thing coming.”

In the ‘battle of the budgets’, who’s being economical with the truth?

Amid a furious war of words between Rachel Reeves and Jeremy Hunt over the £22bn black hole in Britain’s finances, a clear winner has emerged, says Sean O’Grady:

In this ‘clash of the chancellors’, who’s being economical with the truth?

Amid a furious war of words between Rachel Reeves and Jeremy Hunt over the £22bn black hole in Britain’s finances, a clear winner has emerged, says Sean O’Grady

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”.

Atkins warns Labour sends ‘dangerous message’ to striking doctors

Victoria Atkins has slammed the Labour government for settling the pay rise dispute with junior doctors.

The shadow health secretary claimed Wes Streeting’s decision to grant striking NHS staff a 22 per cent pay hike is a “dangerous message” that “strike action will work again in the future”.

Posting on X, she said: “Labour has caved into union demands with a budget-busting pay increase. They have sent the dangerous message that ‘strike action will work again in the future’.

“Labour must stand up to their union paymasters or it is the public who will pay with more strikes and higher taxes.”

It comes as the head of the British Medical Association Robert Laurenson suggested there could be fresh strikes next year despite securing the deal.

Angela Rayner plays down Labour rebellion against housing plan

The deputy prime minister has played down a Labour backbench rebellion against the government’s housebuilding plan.

The housing secretary announced a radical reform to housing plans to lay out the foundations for 1.5 million new homes over the next five years. The minister also set out an annual target of 370,000 homes for local authorities.

But she has dismissed suggestions that she could face MPs opposing the mandatory housebuilding targets on councils if found unpopular in local areas.

Asked by reporters on Tuesday whether she was “gearing up for a fight” with Labour MPs and councils over the new plans, she replied: “Well, Labour councils and Labour MPs know that we’ve got a housing crisis and they’ve been very supportive of our manifesto pledge, which was 1.5 million homes, and knowing full well that that meant we had to really drive that.

“What we need is all areas [is] to recognise the crisis we have and then do something about it, and we’re going to help them do that by driving through these changes so that we get the houses we desperately need.”

Pressed on the issue again, she added: “I think the biggest challenge when I’ve spoken to communities is that often these houses are not for them.”

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