Starmer tells PM Labour will lend him the votes to pass planning reforms

Sir Keir Starmer has told the Prime Minister Labour will lend the Government the votes it needs to pass the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill with mandatory housing targets. The Labour leader insisted Rishi Sunak, whom he described as “weak”, does not need to do another “grubby” deal to defeat the amendment from his “anti-growth” backbenchers. Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir said: “Country before party, that’s the Labour way. Why doesn’t he try it?” His comments come days after the Government was forced to pull a vote on plans for mandatory, centrally-set targets to build 300,000 homes a year, after around 50 Tory MPs signed an amendment that would have scrapped the targets.