Politics latest: Starmer vows 'immediate action' on housing crisis as government unveils new planning strategy (2025)

We've just been speaking to shadow housing secretary Kevin Hollinrake about the government's plan to build 1.5 million homes by the next election, and he defended the Conservative Party's record.

He told us that "between 2013 and 2023, [we built] 207,000 homes, on average, new homes... every year", and that it was "the highest rate [of housebuilding] for 50 years".

He went on to say that while the Tories are "not against building more homes", they oppose "bulldozing green belt sites".

"We'll see many of these homes delivered in rural areas, yet a lowering of targets in urban areas, particularly London," he said, which he argued is not "fair",

"I'm not saying no green belt can ever be built on it," he continued. "It's just making sure it is fair, and the green belt is used where it's absolutely necessary.

"But that's not what we're seeing in these plans."

Mr Hollinrake also said his party is opposed to the government's move to effectively bypass local planning committees, so "all that democratic accountability will have been swept away, and the bulldozers will simply go in piling without [local people] even able to say anything about it".

New homes "should be built in urban areas and on brownfield sites, and green belt as a backstop measure, not the first measure".

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has told us here at Sky News that the expected continuing influx of legal migrants to the UK will be need to be housed in the new supply the government is aiming to build, while there is a "separate conversation" about how to house illegal migrants.

Two and a half million people are expected to come to the UK in the coming years, which far exceeds the government's target of 1.5 million new homes.

The minister insisted the government will "bear down" on both legal and illegal migration, but also said it is "the duty of government to plan for the homes of the population in the country as it stands today as we deal with those pressures".

He added that if migrants have "a legal right to stay in the country, of course they can buy a home if they're in a position to do so, or they can rent a home".

"But we've got a plan for the homes that our population needs in the country as things stand today."

The government is today demanding "immediate, mandatory" housing targets from councils as part of its plans to build 1.5 million houses by the next general election.

The housing minister, Matthew Pennycook, told us that there is currently an "acute and entrenched housing crisis in England" that is "blighting lives across the country".

"It is holding back our economy and while it's not the only, answer to that, overhauling our faltering, ailing planning system is part of the solution."

One of the key reforms is pushing for building on "grey belt" land, which the minister explained is "parcels of land that are very poorly performing against the purposes of the green belt", such as disused petrol stations and abandoned car parks.

1.5 million homes over five years equates to 300,000 per year - but the minister says they are not targeting that number this year because housebuilding has "collapsed" due to ex-PM Rishi Sunak's move to scrap mandatory targets.

"We're in a trough and we've got a steep climb out of that trough," he explained, but insisted the overall target remains in place.

He called on developers to "step up, bring forward sites and to build those sites out at pace". He also said ministers"need local authorities to match our ambition, start allocating sites and allow their planning system to let those homes through".

We've just been speaking with the housing minister, Matthew Pennycook, and before discussing his brief, we asked for his reaction to the devastating case of Sara Sharif, whose father and stepmother were found guilty of murdering the 10-year-old (more here).

He told us that he "really struggled to watch the news last night and this morning and to hear details of this case, this young girl who very clearly had an amazing zest for life, suffered unspeakable, unimaginable abuse at the hands of those who should have cared for her".

There were multiple missed opportunities for the authorities to intervene, and the minister said there are "wider lessons that need to be learned".

He went on to say that he "won't speculate on any wider reviews or inquiries", but said the government is "taking steps to ensure already that no children fall through the cracks".

Asked if he acknowledged that this is not a one-off, Mr Pennycook said: "I think the system is faltering clearly, this is not an isolated case.

"Many hundreds of examples of children facing horrific abuse, violence, that happens too often.

"I know we'll engage very seriously with any recommendations that the children's commissioner makes."

Watch what the children's commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, told us about this case here...

Sky News' deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico's Jack Blanchard share their daily guide to the day ahead in politics in under 20 minutes.

Sir Keir Starmer is the latest PM to present a plan to boost the UK's housing supply, while Kemi Badenoch shares her views on the state of Britain…to lunch!

Plus, Jack and Sam have an update on Rachel Reeves' spending plans.

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You can send a WhatsApp to Jack and Sam on 07511 867 633 or email them: jackandsam@sky.uk

Deputy PM Angela Rayner is spearheading the government's changes to the national planning strategy in order to meet Labour's target of building 1.5 million homes by the next general election.

She has spoken to broadcasters, and defended the fact that some housing may have to be built on existing greenbelt land.

She said: "We've been honest with the public that we need to meet our housing needs. That's what we were elected on.

"But by having these mandatory local plans, instead of the speculative developments on consumption that we saw under the previous government, local areas will identify the land that they think that they should build the houses, and importantly, the infrastructure that people will need as part of that housing development in a planned and coordinated way."

Ms Rayner said that the government is not taking away local input into housing, but is actually forcing them to be part of the conversation.

"We're saying that local people and local representatives should outline the plan and identify it. We think this will streamline the system because there are far too much delay at the moment," she said.

She also insisted that the target of 1.5 million new homes in five years is "achievable", with plans for local authorities "based on their affordability and the need in their areas".

Watch what she had to say here...

Kemi Badenoch has stood by her comments about Nigeria after the country's vice president criticised her remarks.

Ms Badenoch was born in the London suburb of Wimbledon, and raised in Nigeria, before returning to the UK at the age of 16.

She has spoken often about her life and childhood in Nigeria - especially during the Tory leadership race.

But now one senior Nigerian politician has taken issue with her comments.

Vice president Kashim Shettima accused the Conservative leader of disparaging the country.

Mr Shettima added: "She is entitled to her own opinions, she has every right to remove the Kemi from her name."

Asked about the comments, a spokesperson for Ms Badenoch said she "stands by what she says" and "is not the PR for Nigeria".

They added: "She is the leader of the opposition and she is very proud of her leadership of the opposition in this country.

"She tells the truth. She tells it like it is. She is not going to couch her words."

It is not clear which statements the Nigerian politician was responding to.

Ms Badenoch has previously described growing up in Nigeria and seeing a government beset by corruption and dysfunction.

On one occasion, she said that growing up in Nigeria she has "seen what happens when politicians are in it for themselves... using public money as their private piggy banks".

The latest comments were made by the Nigerian vice president in a speech about immigration that also compared her to former prime minister Rishi Sunak - who Mr Shettima said was "a brilliant young man".

By Tim Baker, political reporter

The government is today demanding "immediate, mandatory" housing targets from councils as part of its plans to build 1.5 million houses by the next general election.

During its election campaign, Labour promised to build swathes of new housing to address lack of affordability and supply.

And it will today release its latest version of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), setting out the government's homebuilding plans.

Under the NPPF, councils will have just 12 weeks to commit to a timetable for providing new homes in their area.

And if they fail to do so, ministers will "not hesitate" to impose a plan upon them, the government said, after less than a third of local authorities accepted a plan in the past five years.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "Our Plan for Change will put builders not blockers first, overhaul the broken planning system and put roofs over the heads of working families and drive the growth that will put more money in people's pockets.

"We're taking immediate action to make the dream of homeownership a reality through delivering 1.5 million homes by the next parliament and rebuilding Britain to deliver for working people."

Good morning!

Welcome back to the Politics Hub on this Thursday, 12 December.

The government is today launching its latest version of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), setting out plans to, as Sir Keir Starmer once said, "bulldoze" the planning system and build1.5 million houses by the next general election.

Ministers are demanding"immediate, mandatory" housing targets from councils as part of its plans, and say they will impose plans if councils do not move fast enough.

The PM and his deputy, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, are out and about today, and we expect to hear from them a little later.

Also on today's agenda is the NHS - we are expecting the latest statistics on the health service's performance from 9.30am, so stay tuned to Sky News for the latest on those.

And the foreign secretary has escaped the miserable British winter and flown to the Caribbean to "launch a new partnership to help tackle organised crime, boost economic growth and adapt to the climate crisis". I'm sure there'll be time for a cocktail and a dip in the sea...

Over in parliament...

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and his team will face an hour of questions from MPs from 9.30am.

We are also expecting a ministerial statement on the government's housing plans, but we await confirmation from the Commons.

Over in the Lords, there will be a debate starting around lunchtime on the government's changes to inheritance tax rules for farmers.

And the Foreign Affairs Committee will be speaking to two witnesses about international law in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We'll bring you the latest on that after it kicks off at 11.30am.

We'll be discussing all of that and more with...

• Matthew Pennycook, housing minister, at 7.15am;
• Kevin Hollinrake, shadow housing secretary, at 8.15am.

Follow along for the very latest political news.

That's it for the Politics Hub show - and we're also closing off the live blog for the evening. Thank you for joining us.

Before you go - read this story from political reporter Faye Brown as peers debate whether some of their number should be permanently removed from the chamber.

See you in the morning.