Politics latest: Starmer says 'we had a massive petition' already as he dismisses calls for another election (2024)

ByAlix Culbertson, political reporter

Environment Secretary Steve Reed has said it is "an inevitability" new homes will have to be built on floodplains.

"It's very difficult not to because of the makeup of the country," he told the House of Lords' environment committee.

"It's difficult to see how you could do the scale of building that the country needs without some of it, at least, being on floodplains."

Sir Keir Starmer promised in October to build 1.5 million new homes across the country over the next five years.

Mr Reed said building on floodplains is "manageable if you have appropriate flood defences in place, if you're building in a way that is going to be flood resilient".

He said one in six UK homes is currently at some risk of flooding and paid his condolences to those affected by flooding from Storm Bert over the weekend.

Flood defences 'in worst condition on record'

He added he will be going to the Netherlands to find out how they manage building and development in areas prone to flooding.

He said builders need to have the skills to build on floodplains and details will be provided in the planning and infrastructure bill, due "early next year", Rachel Reeves said at her October budget.

In January, a public accounts committee report said new homes were being built on flood plains in England without defences to protect them. That was under the Conservative government.

Mr Reed said flood defences are "in the worst condition on record" and the government is looking at how it can focus on maintenance and build new flood defences.

Dame Diana Johnson opens her statement by saying people "should feel safe" where they live, but "the dismal reality is that in too many areas, the opposite is true".

She cites figures showing the surge in shoplifting, street theft, and antisocial behaviour under the last year of the Tory government.

To deal with it, she announces "respect orders" will be introduced to allow "tough restrictions to be placed on the worst adult perpetrators".

They could be banned from a town centre, and be compelled to address the causes of their behaviour, such as through drug or alcohol treatment.

She confirms people suspected of a breach could be liable for arrest, and that it would be a criminal offence that could mean up to two years in jail, an unlimited fine, or a community order.

There will also be a crackdown on off-road bikes in public parks and the use of "dangerous e-scooters on pavements", with police no longer obligated to give a warning before seizing vehicles.

"Assaulting a retail worker" will become a specific offence, and "the effective immunity for shop theft of goods under £200" will be ended.

Shadow policing minister Matt Vickers replies to the statement, agreeing with Dame Diana's characterisation of the effects of antisocial behaviour.

But he launches a lengthy defence of his party's record, saying they "made sure the police had the tools to discourage antisocial behaviour, and dedicate funding to support Police and Crime Commissioners to target enforcement".

Next up in the Commons is a statement from the policing minister, Dame Diana Johnson.

She is speaking about Labour's promised "respect orders" that are part of the government's plans to tackle antisocial behaviour.

Watch live in the stream above, at the link below - and follow the key lines right here in the Politics Hub.

A dire PMQs, even by lobby standards.

It's the third time Keir Starmer has faced Kemi Badenoch, but it seems they've lost enthusiasm for PMQs already.

One point where the Tories did cut through was on the economy.

After the Confederation of British Industry's conference earlier this week, growth has been a big talking point.

The chancellor unexpectedly told the event she wouldn't raise tax further in this parliamentary term, but the prime minister refuses to repeat Rachel Reeves's suggestion.

Some friction between No 10 and 11, perhaps?

The rest of the debate spanned topics from electric vehicles to leasehold to farming, which sometimes shows the problem with PMQs: if you try to cover too much at once, you don't really get anywhere at all.

PM fails to take the biscuit

And as my colleagueSam Coates was at pains to point out, the PM really let himself down by not responding to Badenoch's litany of biscuit puns, dropped in liberally as she pointed to the boss of McVitie's criticising Labour's approach to the economy.

"Her argument is crumbling," he could have said.

Or how about: "She's really taking the biscuit."

Come on, Sir Keir, they were right there.

As the business secretary fields questions over the uncertain future of vehicle manufacturing in the UK, our deputy political editor Sam Coates says the issue boils down to two government targets.

It should be noted they were introduced by the Tories, though they are now very much Labour's problem.

The rule for 2024 requires manufacturers to ensure at least 22% of new cars sold are zero emission, rising to 80% by 2030 and 100% by 2035.

Carmakers face a fine of £15,000 for each non zero-emission vehicle sold that exceeds the annual percentage target.

Manufacturers can make up for missing the target in subsequent years, and can also buy credits from competitors such as Tesla.

But many carmakers say the threat of fines is making manufacturing "unaffordable", prompting the decision announced last night to close a Vauxhall factory in Luton.

Is another climate compromise on the cards?

Sam says there's a "split in government between those who want to keep but tweak those targets", while others "really worry" about the impact on manufacturing and jobs.

Then there are some who think it's all rather moot, given the electric transition means most if not all car manufacturing will eventually go to China and other Asian countries anyway.

It could all lead to a familiar trade-off for any climate change policy, says Sam, whereby you "water down the near-term target, while saying you're somehow sticking with the longer-term one".

Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith tells MPs the closure of the Vauxhall plant in Luton is a "sad day", and says his thoughts are with the affected workers.

"They are the most recent custodians in a long history that goes back to 1905 when their factory opened the doors for the first time," he says.

Mr Griffith says he fears this closure "is just a down payment on jobs that will be lost under this government's relentless attacks on industry, its neglect of the realities of business, and its failure to meet its promise not to raise taxes".

He demands Labour "be honest" that the decision is "a direct result" of the zero emissions mandate - and points out that Rishi Sunak actually loosened the requirements when in office.

More broadly, Mr Griffith says the Stellantis decision follows "a budget that has declared war on business".

'It was too late'

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds rises and declares his opposition counterpart's comments "the single most dishonest statement I have ever heard".

The Speaker then jumps up to tell him to withdraw the comment - but he does not do so, and ploughs on with his response.

More substantively, the minister points out the Tories changed the deadlines in the electric vehicle mandate - but kept the fines for missing the targets.

He insists Labour has "acted with pragmatism" to try to prevent the Luton plant's closure, but "it was too late after 14 years of failure".

The business secretary opens his statement by acknowledging the announcement from Vauxhall's parent company Stellantis that it will close it's 120-year-old Luton plant next year.

"I know yesterday was a dark day for Luton," Jonathan Reynolds says.

"This is an iconic plant, powered by a talented workforce, and there are very few people in the town who don't know someone who works at the site."

Mr Reynolds goes on to say he and the transport secretary were told about "the challenges" at the site "just 10 days after the election", with the global CEO telling them "he felt extremely frustrated by the lack of action from the previous government".

There were "intense negotiations" that followed, and Stellantis conducted a review, which has led to the decision to consolidate operations in one plant.

Fast-track consultation on EV sales targets

He is "bitterly disappointed" that Vauxhall cars will no longer be made in Luton, and his "priority" is the people of the town.

The business secretary goes on to say the government has asked Stellantis to "urgently share their full plans with us and to work with the government so that every single worker who is impacted receives the support they deserve".

On to the broader question of the future of electric car manufacturing in the UK, Mr Reynolds says there are global headwinds, but "opportunities" for the UK.

"This transition has to be properly managed, and it requires a government that's on the pitch - something the car industry finally now has," he says.

To that end, he announces a fast-track consultation on the electric vehicle sales targets that car manufacturers have to meet - rules Mr Reynolds pointedly said were introduced by the previous Tory government.

PMQs has now ended, and Jonathan Reynolds is on his feet in the House of Commons delivering a statement on the electric vehicle mandate.

He is expected to announce a "fast-track" consultation on the rules requiring car makers to meet electric vehicle sales targets or be fined.

Watch live in the stream above, at the link below - and follow the key lines right here in the Politics Hub.

The SNP's Brendan O'Hara rises to ask the PM about the war between Israel and Hamas.

"Now that arrest warrants have been issued for his allies, [Israeli PM Benjamin] Netanyahu and [former Israeli defence minister Yoav] Gallant, the prime minister's determination to supply Israel with the weapons it requires to carry out its atrocities in Gaza, which has always been morally repugnant, is now completely untenable," he says.

The warrants, he says, give the PM a "perfectly valid legal avenue by which he can end the UK's complicity in this slaughter", and asks if he will do so.

Sir Keir Starmer replies: "We've set out our position under the current law, as he well knows.

"I've set out my position very, very clearly in relation to the sale of capability to Israel to defend itself against attacks such as those from Iran.

"And I'm very clear that we'll continue to do so."

Leader of the Lib Dems, Sir Ed Davey, is now on his feet.

He's looking ahead to Friday's vote on the assisted dying bill, telling the story of how one of his constituent's father had his end of life care removed due to funding cuts.

"He was told that he wouldn't get it, and he died a few weeks later in excruciating pain," he says, adding his constituent, Christine, spoke of how "terrible it was to watch him suffer".

"Does the PM agree whatever the House decides on Friday, it is urgent we improve access to high quality end of life care?"

'We must invest properly in care'

Sir Keir Starmer agrees, saying "whichever way that vote goes, we must invest properly in care across our health service".

"That's why, in addition to putting the NHS back on its feet, we're putting forward a 10-year plan to make sure the NHS can get the care that everybody would expect across the spectrum, including end of life care."