As Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Native Authorities, Rayner is eager to resolve the housing disaster. However her plans threaten to set Briton in opposition to Briton and set off chaos on each entrance. She’s pursuing a string of insurance policies assured to trigger fury and controversy throughout the nation. Relatively than backing down, she’s coming our swinging. It is nearly as if she needs battle, to spice up her credentials as a wrecker.
A lot of the wrestle will centre on our planning legal guidelines, which Rayner appears decided to experience roughshod over within the perception that “construct, child, construct” is the one solution to enhance development. Traveller websites are the most recent flashpoint. The Tories say her planning reforms give better weight to the wants of travelling communities, making it simpler for them to arrange unlawful websites. Shadow housing secretary James Cleverly accused Rayner of being “dishonest” by making a two-tier planning system stacked in opposition to law-abiding residents by permitting “sprawling traveller caravan growth on valuable inexperienced areas”.
New encampments are already arising throughout the nation, with locals “residing in concern” amid horrendous mess and thefts”. Rayner’s response was sometimes considerate. She accused critics of spreading “pretend information designed to fire up tensions in native communities”. However that is solely the beginning of the tensions coming our manner.
Rayner is aware of Labour has zero likelihood of hitting its goal of constructing 1.5million new properties this parliament. Her newest plan smacks of desperation. To declare conflict on our again gardens.
She’s overhauling planning legal guidelines to permit builders to override limits on the dimensions and look of properties constructed on backyard plots. It is a recipe for intra-neighbour conflict on a nationwide scale, leading to a surge in suburban “backyard grabbing”, blighting views and entry to mild.
Rayner will even make or not it’s a lot simpler to construct taller blocks and prolong current properties upwards. PM Andy Burnham talks about devolution. Rayner responds by trampling throughout native councils. She’s additionally backing plans to permit new metro mayors to overrule native councils to construct huge housing estates and tower blocks, crushing native democracy.
Rayner is even attempting to spark a civil conflict within the Labour Occasion, by overtly defying stricter immigration guidelines launched by Shabana Mahmood. Being Housing Minister is not sufficient, she needs to override the Dwelling Secretary too. Softer immigration guidelines will solely worsen the housing scarcity Rayner is attempting to resolve. You need consistency from Pink Ange? All you get is posturing.
Speaking of which. Rayner was famend for her assaults on MPs who earned cash from second jobs. But she’s now the one raking it in, incomes £89,000 for talking engagements, together with £20,000 from a monetary companies agency for simply two hours of labor. All the cash was declared. The hypocrisy speaks for itself.
Because it did when she hung onto the £16,876 severance money when pressured to resign for Keir Starmer’s cupboard over her stamp obligation invoice. When she obtained her previous job again, she saved the money. Tory MPs do the identical, she cried. Wasn’t she alleged to be higher than them?
Rayner spreads chaos wherever she goes. Now the UK dangers descending right into a pitched battle as neighbour fights neighbour, builders fights rural communities, travellers bully native councils and Labour ministers combat amongst themselves. This may not cease for so long as she’s in authorities. As a result of Rayner by no means does cease.