On the day Starmer finally makes a policy announcement with some solid foundations, a Labour MP has gone off script to take a wrecking ball to it. In a speech today, Starmer will announce support for building on green belt land and back “the builders, not the blockers”. Meanwhile, Labour MP Alex Cunningham is backing the blockers.

Today, the Labour MP for Stockton North has described a proposal to build 700 new homes as “undesirable and unnecessary”. Alex isn’t alone in opposing Starmer’s pro-growth policies: John McDonnell has already tweeted his support for the green belt, whilst Labour’s frontbench is full of undercover NIMBYs. Even Lisa “Get Britain Building” Nandy actively opposed plans to build thousands of homes on her own patch. She specifically cited building on the green belt as her defence…

Of course, the Conservatives aren’t much better. In the same press statement where he recommitted to “growing the economy”, Greg Hands slammed “Labour’s Developers Charter” for “concreting over the green belt”. Greg gives with one Hand and takes with the other. 

Co-conspirators can read Nandy’s letter opposing development below: