Michael Gove attacks Sadiq Khan’s record on housebuilding as he sets out new planning policy for England
Good morning. In a normal workplace the final day before the Christmas break is a time to ease up, but it does not like that in the House of Commons where, inspired by an old West Wing episode, today is referred to by lobby journalists as “take out the trash day”. It’s the day when the government finally publishes a series of policies/reports/announcements that it has been holding back because they might be embarrassing, or because they have been the subject of prolonged, internal feuding.
There are two obvious examples today. The Department for Education is finally publishing its guidance for schools in England on transgender pupils (which at one point was due out before the summer holidays), and Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, seems to have pushed back against reported attempts by Kemi Badenoch, the business secretary and minister for equalities, who wanted to largely ban socially transitioning in schools. Sally Weale has a preview here.
And Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, will publish the government’s national planning policy framework for England. He has had to construct a compromise compatible with the government’s stated desire to build 300,000 new homes a year, while also acceptable to the Conservative party’s hardcore nimbyist wing who fear that new housing estates in their leafy constituencies will be an electoral liability. Kiran Stacey has a preview here.
When politicians are under pressure from their own side, the safest response is often to redouble attacks on the opposition and there is some evidence that Gove will do that when he delivers a speech on his plans this morning. He has given an interview to the Times which reports that he will criticise Sadiq Khan, the Labour mayor of London, for failing to build enough home and threaten to remove Khan’s powers over planning. Khan is up for re-election next year.
Lee Rowley, the housing minister, told LBC this morning:
We have a long-standing concern that London is not delivering as many houses as it could do. And we think that the mayor is not helping in that instance. So we’re going to be making some further announcements on that later.
As Politico reports, Khan has hit back, saying house completions in London are higher than elsewhere. “The progress we are making in London is despite nimby Tory ministers regularly intervening to block new building in the capital,” Khan said.
There are 11 other ministerial statements today with “take out the trash” potential.
As well as all that, Rishi Sunak is at the liasion committee, and the Scottish government is publishing its budget. Here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am: Rishi Sunak chairs cabinet.
10am: Leaders from the care sector give evidence to the Commons health committee about the impact of the recently-announces changes to visa rules on the sector.
Morning: Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, gives a speech on planning.
11am: Mourners attend Alistair Darling’s funeral at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh.
11.30am: Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, takes questions in the Commons.
1pm: Sunak gives evidence to the Commons liaison committee.
2.20pm: Shona Robison, Scotland’s finance secretary and deputy first minister, unveils the Scottish government’s budget.
5pm: James Cleverly, the home secretary, gives evidence to the Lords international agreements committee about the deportation treaty with Rwanda.
5pm: The petition closes on whether to have a recall byelection in Peter Bone’s Wellingborough constituency. If 10% of eligible voters have signed, a byelection will take place in the new year.
At some point today Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, will also published the long-awaited guidance for schools in England on how to deal with pupils who want to transition. This is one of 13 written ministerial statements out today.
Also David Cameron, the foreign secretary, is today meeting his counterparts in Paris and Rome to discuss a joint European approach to the Israel-Hamas war.
If you want to contact me, do try the “send us a message” feature. You’ll see it just below the byline – on the left of the screen, if you are reading on a laptop or a desktop. This is for people who want to message me directly. I find it very useful when people message to point out errors (even typos – no mistake is too small to correct). Often I find your questions very interesting, too. I can’t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either in the comments below the line; privately (if you leave an email address and that seems more appropriate); or in the main blog, if I think it is a topic of wide interest.
Key events
Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, is announcing his new planning rules in a speech outside parliament, not in a statement to MPs. This appears to be a breach of the ministerial code which says “the most important announcements of government policy should be made in the first instance, in parliament” – although Gove is also making a written ministerial statement, so MPs will get the chance to read the details as Gove gives a speech attended by journalists.
According to Sky’s Beth Rigby, some MPs are very unhappy about this.
Gove giving a keynote speech in housing policy in central London rather than to Houses of Parliament: A former cabinet minister tells me there’s “lots of unhappiness” that he’s giving speech and not speaking in Parliament. “One of the most blatant breaches of the Ministerial Code I’ve seen,” says source
Gove giving a keynote speech in housing policy in central London rather than to Houses of Parliament: A former cabinet minister tells me there’s “lots of unhappiness” that he’s giving speech and not speaking in Parliament. “One of the most blatant breaches of the Ministerial Code…
— Beth Rigby (@BethRigby) December 19, 2023
We still have not heard yet whether the speaker is allowing any urgent questions this morning. He could allow one on this.
Recall byelection petiton for Peter Bone MP to close at 5pm
A petition which could unseat MP Peter Bone will close to voters in his Northamptonshire constituency later today, PA Media reports. PA says:
The Wellingborough MP was suspended from the Commons for six weeks in October after an inquiry found he had subjected a staff member to bullying and sexual misconduct.
He is sitting as an independent after losing the Conservative whip.
The six-week process of the recall petition, which was prompted by his suspension, closes at 5pm.
If signed by 10% of the 79,046 eligible voters in his constituency – 7,904 people – Bone will lose the seat and a by-election will be called.
Bone has held the seat for the Conservatives since 2005 and retained it at the last general election with a majority of 18,540.
After the closure of nine signing places across the constituency, vote counting will begin, overseen by North Northamptonshire Council petition officer Adele Wylie.
If the petition is successful, the petition officer will notify the speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, first and the seat becomes vacant.
There has only been one instance of a recall petition not meeting the 10% threshold, in North Antrim in 2018. I wrote more about that, and the recall process generally, in this post on the blog last week.
EU fingerprint checks for British travellers to start in 2024
A new EU digital border system that will require fingerprints and facial scans to be taken from British travellers on first use is expected to launch next autumn, according to reports. Jamie Grierson has the story.
Michael Gove attacks Sadiq Khan’s record on housebuilding as he sets out new planning policy for England
Good morning. In a normal workplace the final day before the Christmas break is a time to ease up, but it does not like that in the House of Commons where, inspired by an old West Wing episode, today is referred to by lobby journalists as “take out the trash day”. It’s the day when the government finally publishes a series of policies/reports/announcements that it has been holding back because they might be embarrassing, or because they have been the subject of prolonged, internal feuding.
There are two obvious examples today. The Department for Education is finally publishing its guidance for schools in England on transgender pupils (which at one point was due out before the summer holidays), and Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, seems to have pushed back against reported attempts by Kemi Badenoch, the business secretary and minister for equalities, who wanted to largely ban socially transitioning in schools. Sally Weale has a preview here.
And Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, will publish the government’s national planning policy framework for England. He has had to construct a compromise compatible with the government’s stated desire to build 300,000 new homes a year, while also acceptable to the Conservative party’s hardcore nimbyist wing who fear that new housing estates in their leafy constituencies will be an electoral liability. Kiran Stacey has a preview here.
When politicians are under pressure from their own side, the safest response is often to redouble attacks on the opposition and there is some evidence that Gove will do that when he delivers a speech on his plans this morning. He has given an interview to the Times which reports that he will criticise Sadiq Khan, the Labour mayor of London, for failing to build enough home and threaten to remove Khan’s powers over planning. Khan is up for re-election next year.
Lee Rowley, the housing minister, told LBC this morning:
We have a long-standing concern that London is not delivering as many houses as it could do. And we think that the mayor is not helping in that instance. So we’re going to be making some further announcements on that later.
As Politico reports, Khan has hit back, saying house completions in London are higher than elsewhere. “The progress we are making in London is despite nimby Tory ministers regularly intervening to block new building in the capital,” Khan said.
There are 11 other ministerial statements today with “take out the trash” potential.
As well as all that, Rishi Sunak is at the liasion committee, and the Scottish government is publishing its budget. Here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am: Rishi Sunak chairs cabinet.
10am: Leaders from the care sector give evidence to the Commons health committee about the impact of the recently-announces changes to visa rules on the sector.
Morning: Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, gives a speech on planning.
11am: Mourners attend Alistair Darling’s funeral at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh.
11.30am: Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, takes questions in the Commons.
1pm: Sunak gives evidence to the Commons liaison committee.
2.20pm: Shona Robison, Scotland’s finance secretary and deputy first minister, unveils the Scottish government’s budget.
5pm: James Cleverly, the home secretary, gives evidence to the Lords international agreements committee about the deportation treaty with Rwanda.
5pm: The petition closes on whether to have a recall byelection in Peter Bone’s Wellingborough constituency. If 10% of eligible voters have signed, a byelection will take place in the new year.
At some point today Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, will also published the long-awaited guidance for schools in England on how to deal with pupils who want to transition. This is one of 13 written ministerial statements out today.
Also David Cameron, the foreign secretary, is today meeting his counterparts in Paris and Rome to discuss a joint European approach to the Israel-Hamas war.
If you want to contact me, do try the “send us a message” feature. You’ll see it just below the byline – on the left of the screen, if you are reading on a laptop or a desktop. This is for people who want to message me directly. I find it very useful when people message to point out errors (even typos – no mistake is too small to correct). Often I find your questions very interesting, too. I can’t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either in the comments below the line; privately (if you leave an email address and that seems more appropriate); or in the main blog, if I think it is a topic of wide interest.
