As Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Rayner is keen to solve the housing crisis. But her plans threaten to set Briton against Briton and trigger chaos on every front. She’s pursuing a string of policies guaranteed to cause fury and controversy across the country. Rather than backing down, she’s coming our swinging. It’s almost as if she wants conflict, to boost her credentials as a wrecker.
Much of the struggle will centre on our planning laws, which Rayner seems determined to ride roughshod over in the belief that “build, baby, build” is the only way to boost growth. Traveller sites are the latest flashpoint. The Tories say her planning reforms give greater weight to the needs of travelling communities, making it easier for them to set up illegal sites. Shadow housing secretary James Cleverly accused Rayner of being “dishonest” by creating a two-tier planning system stacked against law-abiding residents by allowing “sprawling traveller caravan development on precious green spaces”.
New encampments are already springing up across the country, with locals “living in fear” amid horrendous mess and thefts”. Rayner’s response was typically thoughtful. She accused critics of spreading “fake news designed to stir up tensions in local communities”. But that’s only the start of the tensions coming our way.
Rayner knows Labour has zero chance of hitting its target of building 1.5million new homes this parliament. Her latest plan smacks of desperation. To declare war on our back gardens.
She’s overhauling planning laws to allow developers to override limits on the size and appearance of homes built on garden plots. It’s a recipe for intra-neighbour war on a national scale, resulting in a surge in suburban “garden grabbing”, blighting views and access to light.
Rayner will also make it be much easier to build taller blocks and extend existing properties upwards. PM Andy Burnham talks about devolution. Rayner responds by trampling all over local councils. She’s also backing plans to allow new metro mayors to overrule local councils to build massive housing estates and tower blocks, crushing local democracy.
Rayner is even trying to spark a civil war in the Labour Party, by openly defying stricter immigration rules introduced by Shabana Mahmood. Being Housing Minister isn’t enough, she wants to override the Home Secretary too. Softer immigration rules will only worsen the housing shortage Rayner is trying to solve. You want consistency from Red Ange? All you get is posturing.
Talking of which. Rayner was renowned for her attacks on MPs who earned money from second jobs. Yet she’s now the one raking it in, earning £89,000 for speaking engagements, including £20,000 from a financial services firm for just two hours of work. All the money was declared. The hypocrisy speaks for itself.
As it did when she hung onto the £16,876 severance cash when forced to resign for Keir Starmer’s cabinet over her stamp duty bill. When she got her old job back, she kept the cash. Tory MPs do the same, she cried. Wasn’t she supposed to be better than them?
Rayner spreads chaos wherever she goes. Now the UK risks descending into a pitched battle as neighbour fights neighbour, developers fights rural communities, travellers bully local councils and Labour ministers fight among themselves. This won’t stop for as long as she’s in government. Because Rayner never does stop.
