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A cross-party group of MPs has warned that the government risks missing both its housing and nature targets under proposed reforms.The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) found measures in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, currently before Parliament, are insufficient to meet either goal. The EAC’s report, published on Sunday, argued nature is not a “blocker” to housing but essential for resilient neighbourhoods.The committee also concluded that without addressing skills shortages in ecology, planning, and construction, the government will miss its housebuilding goal.The Bill overrides existing habitat and nature protections, which the government has suggested to be a barrier to its target to build 1.5 million houses by the end of this Parliament as well as wider economic growth.Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves have previously argued that current nature rules have gone too far, often citing the example of a £100 million bat tunnel for the construction of the HS2 railway route.The government wants to build 1.5 million homes by the end of this Parliament More

Asylum seekers could lose their automatic right to housing and financial support under Labour’s radical immigration crackdown.Home secretary Shabana Mahmood will indicate a move away from EU law as she announces plans to scrap the UK’s statutory duty to provide support to asylum seekers – with migrants also facing stricter requirements to receive and retain benefits. It is part of a major overhaul of the immigration system, inspired by the Danish model, and comes as Labour battles to restore public trust in the asylum system to see off the threat of a Reform UK government. But Ms Mahmood may face objections from some Labour backbenchers, with immigration reform seen as a divisive issue within the party. Ahead of a speech by the home secretary laying out the reforms on Monday, the Home Office said that support will “no longer be a given” for asylum seekers, vowing that automatic handouts for those seeking refuge “will end”. The announcement is being billed by the government as the largest overhaul of asylum policy in modern times and a move to “restore order” to the rules. Shabana Mahmood will give a speech laying out the reforms on Monday More

The decision to rip up plans for the Budget has left Keir Starmer even further “weakened” and more likely to face an imminent bid to oust him, Labour MPs have claimed.Ministers and backbenchers reacted with despair to news that plans to hike income tax had been abandoned, claiming that is showed “nobody is in charge” of the government.The Independent has been told that supporters of health secretary Wes Streeting still want him to replace Sir Keir in a coronation to get the Labour government back on track. One MP said the U-turn made a coup more likely while a minister described the PM’s position as “weakened”. It is being claimed that Downing Street overruled the Treasury over the planned income tax rise in a bid to buy Sir Keir time and see off an attempted coup.But the move may have backfired again with one senior minister complaining: “It has just added to the sense of directionlessness.” Another minister said: “It feels like nobody is in charge any more.”Morgan McSweeney More

Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to fire his Downing Street chief of staff by former Labour home secretary David Blunkett.Lord Blunkett said the prime minister should dismiss his top adviser Morgan McSweeney and replace him with someone who can “manage people well”.The intervention by Lord Blunkett comes days after anonymous briefings by unnamed Downing Street sources claimed that health secretary Wes Streeting was plotting to replace the prime minister.Mr Streeting denied the allegation and said it was proof of a “toxic culture” in No 10.Sir Keir apologised to Mr Streeting. He later said he had been assured the briefings “didn’t come from Downing Street”, adding: “I will absolutely deal with anybody responsible for briefing against ministers, cabinet ministers or any other ministers.” Lord Blunkett said: “If I was Keir Starmer I would say to Morgan McSweeney, ‘You have got great skills, you helped enormously with me in building a winning team before the election. Now is the time for me to find you another role that you are good at and I will bring in someone with the overall experience that we need to be the chief of staff’.”He went on: “It is a particular role – it is about knowing about government and having been in a senior position where you have had to not only run the show but manage people well. It is not rocket science but it is a particular skill.”Mr McSweeney has been blamed by some within Labour for the fallout from the attacks on Mr Streeting, which were an apparent ploy to warn off potential leadership contenders.The prime minister has also faced calls to sack Mr McSweeney over the row. But sources who have spoken to Mr McSweeney told the BBC on Thursday he would remain in his post.They said: “He’s done absolutely nothing wrong. He’s not going anywhere.” They added: “I can categorically say he was not involved indirectly or directly.”Speaking to the Newsagents podcast, Lord Blunkett said if the government did not improve its performance it would pave the way for Nigel Farage to take power.He said: “We will be in serious trouble if we don’t get our act together, because the opinion polls are awful and the feeling of bewilderment in the electorate is palpable.”The unrest at the top of the party comes as Labour’s poll ratings have plummeted since Sir Keir delivered a landslide general election victory in July 2024.It precedes Rachel Reeves’s 26 November Budget, in which the party could rip up its manifesto promise not to increase income tax, and what MPs fear could be a bloodbath in elections next May in English councils and the Scottish and Welsh parliaments. More

Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to intervene in the row between Donald Trump and the BBC after the US President ramped up threats to sue the corporation.Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One on Friday night, Mr Trump said he would sue the corporation for “anywhere between 1 billion dollars (£759.8 million) and 5 billion dollars (£3.79 billion), probably sometime next week” after the BBC apologised over the Panorama speech edit. Mr Trump also said that Sir Keir had asked to speak to him, and indicated that they would talk over the weekend. The prime minister has now been urged to “demand” that Mr Trump “drops his ludicrous lawsuit” with the BBC, with Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey saying Sir Keir has a moment to “stand up for Britain”. He said on Saturday: “This is Keir Starmer’s moment to stand up for Britain, for every TV licence fee payer in the country and for a free press that can hold the powerful to account.“When he speaks to Trump, Keir Starmer must demand that he drops his ludicrous lawsuit and stops interfering in our country. “The prime minister has spent months cosying up to the president. If he can’t stop him attacking one of our most precious institutions and hitting millions of licence fee payers in the pocket, what was it all for?”The BBC apologized, admitting that editing the speech in a documentary by its show Panorama was an ‘error of judgment’ More

Your Party has been hit by fresh chaos after an MP pulled out of the Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana-led project, citing “veiled prejudice” against Muslim men. Adnan Hussain also hit out at the “persistent infighting” in the group.It comes as the party’s founding has been marred by internal division, including rows over financing and leadership. Mr Hussain, the independent MP for Blackburn, said on Friday that he is withdrawing from the “steering process” of the party, and comes barely two weeks before the founding conference in Liverpool. He said he had initially agreed to support the founding of the party because he believed in “building a political home with mass appeal” and “a force capable of challenging the rise of far-right rhetoric”. Adnan Hussain said he had been disillusioned by ‘persistent infighting’ in the party More

Creaky, idiosyncratic, mice in the basement and with “doors that lead nowhere” – Number 10 Downing Street may be one of the most famous addresses in the world, but for many of its staff, conditions in the warren of poky rooms behind the famous door represent the perfect metaphor for the running of the state. While other countries’ executive branches of government are usually run from considerably grander buildings – for example the US’s White House, Germany’s enormous Federal Chancellery or Italy’s Palazzo Chigi – in Britain, the prime minister is expected to live, work and host official state meetings in a rather tired Georgian townhouse. After 300 years of near-continual use by prime ministers, their staff, and an army of civil servants, it is perhaps unsurprising that the “crumbly” building is reportedly held together with gaffa-tape, has fraying curtains, a lack of showers and has toilets which occasionally emit “a stench”.This is according to a report by Politico, which interviewed former staffers at number 10, and sets out a damning rundown of how the building’s age and (lack of) design at 10 Downing Street impacts staff. It raises concerns about efficiency, but also alludes to how the layout and the constrictions inherent in working in the building could even influence policymaking and inter-governmental communication. One particular issue singled out was the building’s poor mobile phone reception, which combined with the noise of soldiers on Horse Guards Parade, has meant people sometimes have to hang out of windows, or move rooms to find a place quiet enough, and with sufficient signal to hold a conversation.‘Keir hates it’ – working at Number 10 that is, – not the recent Christmas party the PM hosted for children More

Rachel Reeves has abandoned plans to break Labour’s manifesto pledge and raise income tax at this month’s Budget – and the decision has sparked a heated debate among Independent readers.Some argue that the speculation over an income tax rise, and the subsequent U-turn, has created unnecessary uncertainty, with the chancellor appearing to waver between manifesto promises and the need to fill a growing fiscal black hole. Critics suggested this flip-flopping is fuelling distrust, both among voters and within Labour ranks, as MPs worry about the political and economic consequences of either choice.Others pointed out that the abandonment of a headline income tax hike may simply be a pragmatic move, with Reeves now likely to rely on smaller, targeted tax measures to bolster public finances. Yet even this approach was divisive: while some saw it as a fairer way to share the burden, others warned it risks making the system more complicated and inefficient, while failing to provide the fiscal certainty the economy needs.For many readers, the debate is less about individual measures than about credibility and clarity. With the Budget looming, opinions are split over whether Labour’s chancellor is steering a steady course or merely fuelling a cycle of speculation and uncertainty.Here’s what you had to say:What happened to ‘purdah’?I can remember when Budget contents were closely guarded secrets and the chancellor was in information “purdah” for weeks beforehand. In retrospect, that seems far more sensible and grown-up than the unconvincing and instability inducing mixture of nudges and winks from the current Treasury team that merely confirm to the country and the markets that it hasn’t got a grip on the economy as well as on so many other issues.DjangoFive months of uncertaintyHas there ever been a Budget so widely discussed, leaked, so many different proposals floated, dismissed, and commented on?Get a free fractional share worth up to £100.Capital at risk.Terms and conditions apply.Go to websiteADVERTISEMENTGet a free fractional share worth up to £100.Capital at risk.Terms and conditions apply.Go to websiteADVERTISEMENTThis has been going on for nearly five months now. Why can’t the financial organisation of the country be dealt with once a year at a fixed date?MagmaIgnore the speculationFrankly, I ignore all this Budget speculation; most of it is attempts to score political points by scaremongering, etc. I am confident that Reeves, the most qualified chancellor for two decades, will present exactly the budget our country needs at this time. In my honest opinion, until Brexit is reversed, there’s not much chance of the recovery needed to deliver every demand. Blame the Conservatives and Farage’s three-party incarnations for this.voxtrotThere was never a planThere never was a plan. Plans only exist after the Budget announcement. Before that, you just have possible ideas you are assessing. The hysterical and hyperbolic speculation is frankly ridiculous. I agree with those who say this speculation is possibly unhelpful and even damaging to the economy.Strangely EnoughUnclear vision and tax policySo what will she do then? Bringing more people into paying income tax seems to be the only solution – a solution which will not be accepted by many of her backbenchers, as those people vote Labour, let alone by the unions. She has been reduced to shilly-shallying for months just to see the markets’ and her party’s reactions. She has no clear vision and cannot financially or economically rule any longer. Whatever she does, she must reduce corporation taxes, starting with the NI taxes which impair growth, because without growth, Labour is cooked, as ever more taxes will be needed in the future.paulLand and wealth taxesReeves is damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t. She needs to just get on with releasing some of the obscene wealth tied up in land and mansions in this country back into the economy. She could start with a land value tax of a couple of percent on land holdings of over 200 hectares or £2m, and reform council tax on high-value properties as advocated by Martin Lewis.A stepped progressive removal of personal allowance for those on incomes in and above the 40 per cent band and aligning capital gains tax rates with income tax rates and allowances would obviate the need for a rise in the basic rate of income tax. This would ensure those with the broadest shoulders pay their fair share.KernowUK’s financial messSpeculation is rife about what will or won’t change in the budget. Whatever the budget brings, one thing’s clear – the UK is in a mess. It was an impossible task for anyone to sort out the UK’s finances in four years, let alone one.Is Reeves a capable chancellor? Hard to say, as she took on a task that many wouldn’t attempt and with a deficit that generations will pay for, leaving little chance of handing out anything to anyone.Those responsible for Brexit have a lot to answer for. As one is fancying his chances as next PM, people need to wake up and smell the coffee. He and his supporters, not to mention the seriously wealthy, would welcome him as PM as they see it as their chance for greater financial freedom, as well as him ensuring they pay less tax – difficult in some cases, as many avoid tax by all and any means – whilst he enriches and empowers himself, seeing himself as a world leader, hobnobbing with the rich and famous, whilst the country sinks into greater despair and poverty.If no one pays any tax, where does the money come from for education, NHS, police, prisons, social services, pensions, benefits, etc.? Everyone wants a decent country to live in, but seemingly an ever-increasing number don’t want to pay their share. Propaganda from the likes of Farage won’t finance anything!AmbigirlsDisingenuous tax moves”The Financial Times suggested that one option would also be to reduce income tax thresholds while keeping tax rates the same, which could raise billions of pounds for the Treasury.”If she does this, it will be a clear reason as to why one should never trust a politician. The Labour manifesto said that they would not increase the rates of income tax so as to protect ‘working people’ – fine, she will not be doing that – but by lowering the income tax thresholds, she would be reaching the same result: more income tax from working people. It would be disingenuous and duplicitous: “We will not stab you from the front (but that does not mean we cannot stab you from the side).”DaveAniSpring budget would be betterI can remember a gentler pre-social media and internet era when nobody obsessed about the budget months in advance, and you just waited to find out whether you would be better or worse off on the day.I think a budget in November is a really bad idea compared to the traditional budget in March because it is already a gloomy time of year, with the nights drawing in and winter approaching. Far better to go back to the spring, when people are feeling a lot more optimistic in general.CanPeopleReallyBeThisStupidWealth redistribution ideasI’d like to see an increase in the personal allowance, maybe to £30K, then maybe a 25 per cent rate to £100K and after that a 60 per cent rate thereafter, with a wealth tax of 5 per cent on anything over £10M.That will shake things up and give the least well-off money to spend to grow the economy and recoup some of the obscene and mostly unearned wealth of the richest, who don’t spend and just accumulate more – as we’ve seen – proving that Tory trickle-down doesn’t work, never did, and never will.rEUjoinNecessary tax risesTaxes have to go up in some form or another, and income tax is the easiest and simplest way to do that. The UK is already pretty much maxed out on borrowing, so Reeves can’t borrow her way out of trouble. The only other alternative is spending cuts. Until productivity improves and the economy starts to grow again, those are the only options. MPs need to grasp that and stop playing silly beggars. It may not be what they hoped to do in government, but they have to do what is necessary to govern effectively, not spend their time playing political games.Tanaquil2Some of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity.Want to share your views? Simply register your details below. Once registered, you can comment on the day’s top stories for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click ‘log in’ or ‘register’ in the top right corner to sign in or sign up.Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment, click here. More