Rachel Reeves has given her first speech as Chancellor. She says that the last 72 hours has confirmed that Labour has the “worst inheritance since the Second World War“. She declares her “three pillars” as Chancellor are “stability, investment, and reform”…

In summary, she says:

• Treasury officials assessment on full scale of “spending inheritance” to go before Parliament before recess.
• Next steps for Mark Carney-led national wealth fund project to come shortly.
• National planning policy framework to be reformed by end of month.
• Mandatory housing targets make a comeback.
• New onshore wind ban to be scrapped.
• Stalled large planning site progress, e.g. in Liverpool to be accelerated.
• 300 new planning officers to be appointed.
• Rayner will write to mayors, planning authorities, to stress importance of planning.
• Reviews of greenbelt boundaries to go underway.
• Infrastructure projects will be “prioritised” by other cabinet ministers.
• New policy intentions for “critical infrastructure” and national policy statements to come in months.
• “Growth Mission Board” to meet before end of July.
• “Growth Delivery Unit” in Treasury established.

YIMBYs will be pleased with the taken tone. Reeves declares that “planning reform has become a byword for political timidity” and “We are going to get Britain building again“. Not the first time a Chancellor has made that promise…