Rayner: Homes plan won't undermine local democracy

Angela Rayner has denied that she is damaging local democracy after it was revealed she plans to force large developments on communities and bypass council planning committees.

- DAVID MADDOX

The deputy prime minister was laying out how she plans to get 1.5 million homes built in the UK before the next election.

Speaking to Sky News's Sir Trevor Phillips she admitted that it would require a rate of building not seen since the 1950s for a target last achieved in 1972. But she said: “I don’t like failure.”

The 1.5 million new homes was one of the six milestones unveiled in a major speech by Sir Keir Starmer last week. However, to get to that goal, Labour plans to remove local barriers to developments including council planning committees – leading to questions over whether Ms Rayner is further undermining local democracy in England. Conservative shadow Treasury minister Richard Fuller argued that local people will be ignored under Labour's plans.

But asked if the plans will take powers away from local councils, Ms Rayner told the BBC's