One of Starmer and Reeves’ key messages as they entered Downing Street was clear: build, build, build. To many YIMBYs it was a relief to hear Labour signalling the drive to build new houses – their target isn’t small either, planning to build 1.5 million homes in the next 5 years. Though it looks like Starmer’s beloved European Court of Human Rights may end up getting in the way…
Now lawyers are warning that these plans could risk breaching human rights law over the government’s proposal to reduce compensation to landowners forced to hand over their assets. Tom Barton, a partner at law firm Mishcon de Reya, told The Telegraph:
“The ECHR protects the right to peaceful enjoyment of one’s possessions and respect for your right to a home, and capping compensation at ‘existing use value’ could be considered an infringement on this right. If this is a reform the Government is serious about pursuing, the likelihood of challenge is high.”
It’s not the only Labour plan that the Strasbourg court could block – Labour have also been warned that their VAT raid on private schools is “likely illegal”. The ECHR has long been a hot topic of debate – Sunak had said he’d consider leaving the court if it blocked flights to Rwanda, while Starmer has pledged to “never leave” it. Yesterday Nigel Farage called for a referendum on leaving the court. Starmer will soon have to get to grips with the fact that delivering on his promises is more difficult than he may have thought…
Zarah Sultana has just confirmed that she has had the whip suspended thanks to the fact she voted for the SNP’s amendment to the King’s Speech. It called for the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped. Labour sources had suggested this was coming since the afternoon…
The MPs to lose the whip (for six months) are:
A corbynite purge all over again. Velvet glove, iron fist…
The Green Party made a lot of its commitment to cutting working hours – It says in its manifesto that “reducing working time can make us all happier, healthier and more productive.” To that end Greens bang on about much “reduced working hours and moving towards a four-day working week”…
There’s no sign of all that now job applications have opened for taxpayer-funded roles in the party, though. The Greens are looking for parliamentary assistants to bag-carry and “give advice on policy issues”, among other things. Application forms all note that employees could face a “requirement for the role holder to work outside of normal working hours“. Panicked scurrying around Parliament in the wee hours is known to all staffers – doesn’t sound much like reduced working hours for a happier, healthier life…
George Monbiot has released a new video on Double Down News praising that ecological champion…China. After claiming that the West has always criticised it in order to peddle “the old yellow peril myth” and mocking world leaders for talking about the threat from China on a state level, Monbiot touts the country’s green credentials. Everything else is waved away with a “China is doing some bad stuff”…
“It’s massively investing in green infrastructure and green industries and if there’s one thing we should be concerned about it’s that we’re being completely left behind by China’s investments… We are being left behind in the fossil age.”
Monbiot finishes: “China, for all its faults, puts us to shame.” News to anyone who thinks lowering emissions is a good thing…
Last time Guido checked, China, while building some solar farms, added a record 47 Gigawatts of coal power in 2023, which is double the amount from the rest of the world combined. That’s the equivalent of two new coal plants every week, as the country accounted for a whopping 30.9% of carbon emissions in 2021 and is currently rated “highly insufficient” on climateactiontracker.org. Guido didn’t realise George was such a fan of carbon…
Monbiot goes on to say how brilliant it is that the “French government is training every single public servant in ecological principles. 5.6 million people everyone who works for the state in any capacity at all is going to have ecological training.” More powerpoints for bureaucrats, that’ll solve climate change…
Results of the Deputy Speaker election have just been announced:
Commiserations to Roger Gale, Helen Grant, Sharon Hodgson, and Wendy Morton. MPs had better keep those microaggressions out of the Chamber…
Speaking at his speech on how to achieve “progressive capitalism” Wes Streeting fired a dig and Andy Burnham:
“Bond markets are not bond villains and fiscal rules matter.”