Labour ministers promised thousands of new homes would be built despite hundreds of millions of pounds in funding not being secured.
The Department for Communities and Local Government took the highly unusual step of releasing details of the scale of Labour’s largesse in the months before the general election.
A trawl of records showed “the previous Government made commitments that were not fully and securely funded”.
It included an eye-watering £780 million towards housing priorities as part of Gordon Brown’s flagship Housing Pledge.
It is understood that the money – half of a £1.5 billion fund - depended on the Home Office and the health, education and transport departments “underspending” on their annual budgets. This money will now be used to tackle the deficit.
A spokesman for Communities and Local Government said the state of the public finances is “severe”.
David Laws, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said the government was instead allocating an £170 million to “fund investment in social rented housing in 2010-11, to help deliver 4,000 social housing starts”.
The Homes and Communities Agency is also cutting £50 million from housing market renewal schemes and £30 million from the gypsy and traveller programme.
No new or further commitments will be entered into.
However Labour’s John Healey, the housing minister until the election, claimed the government’s failure to defend the housing budget would lead to cuts in jobs and homes.
"This is bad for the economy, bad for families' and bad for a housebuilding sector that has been kept going through recession by public investment.
"In failing to defend housing, the new ministers at CLG have shown little fight. On the back of David Cameron's downgrading of Housing Minister to a non-Cabinet post, they've made the Treasury's task of public investment cuts much easier.”
Showing posts with label Gordon Brown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gordon Brown. Show all posts
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
Looking down on a sea of Lib Con heads - but where's the Labour Wally?
The WMN perch in the press gallery gives me a fine view of the opposition benches. Almost directly above where the Prime Minister sits, for the last three and a half years I have been able to survey the dozen or so Westcountry MPs on the Tory and Lib Dem side.
Now, I have a problem. In the whole of Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset there are just two Labour MPs.
Ben Bradshaw is shadow culture secretary – for the time being at least – leaving Alison Seabeck as the sole backbencher. I shall resist the temptation to suggest this presents me with a political game of Where’s Wally.
Alison’s attempt to stand out during the election of the new Speaker – by wearing an ultra-loyal Labour Red jacked and matching specs – was limited in its impact with the bulk of her female colleagues doing the same.
As it was she was on a green bench near the front and gave me a wave. I suspect in the coming weeks she will be vital voice of opposition in the region.
On the Lib-Con side it was positively bulging, though I laregly only had a view of the top of their heads.
Newly-appointed ministers and very green MPs jostled behind the Speaker’s Chair. Conservative Sarah Wollaston, the GP-turned-MP for Totnes, stood at the door behind the Speaker clutching what appeared to be some forms from IPSA, the expenses watchdog. Very sensible.
East Devon Tory MP Hugo Swire, newly-installed as Northern Ireland Minister, was in the thick of it too.
Amid the mêlée, one impertinent Tory was trying to barge them all out of the way.
“Can I just squeeze through?” inquired… oh… it’s our new Prime Minister, David Cameron.
Punctuality man! At least he was there, though. Gordon Brown, having attracted respect for staying on as an MP, let himself down by not showing up for this parliamentary formality. Indeed, in all the gushing of congratulations to the elections winners and losers, he was completely forgotten.
On the Lib-Con frontbench, the behind-the-scenes struggle for government jobs became all too physical.
It began as the senior ministers returned from a brief but constitutional visit to the Lords.
Business Secretary Vince Cable parked himself on the bench first, tactfully leaving a large space either side, resisting the temptation to cuddle up to his new Tory friends.
Next came Theresa May, new Home Secretary but not a natural bedfellow of Mr Cable.
Things were looking tight when Justice Secretary Ken Clarke spot an inch of green leather between Cable and Transport Secretary Philip Hammond, plonking himself down with a real “oomph”, sparking cheers from the press gallery as if a champion wrestler had just sat on a floored opponent.
Just when it was all looking a bit like sardines in a tin, new Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman came along and somehow found a slither seat to perch on. Though it may actually have been Mr Hammond’s knee.
This is the cosy consensus in action.
Sir Peter Tapsell becomes Father of the House, having first been elected an MP in 1959. He had previously served as an aide to Eden, and frankly knows the place inside out.
Presiding over the re-election of John Bercow as Speaker, he had to endure some truly dreadful jokes at his expense, which he did with good grace.
In the end, Bercow was elected without a fuss. Attempts by Tory troublemakers including Nadine Dorries to force a vote were scuppered by Sir Peter.
We were told to be back for 3.10pm tomorrow. Obviously someone has a big lunch planned.
Now, I have a problem. In the whole of Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset there are just two Labour MPs.
Ben Bradshaw is shadow culture secretary – for the time being at least – leaving Alison Seabeck as the sole backbencher. I shall resist the temptation to suggest this presents me with a political game of Where’s Wally.
Alison’s attempt to stand out during the election of the new Speaker – by wearing an ultra-loyal Labour Red jacked and matching specs – was limited in its impact with the bulk of her female colleagues doing the same.
As it was she was on a green bench near the front and gave me a wave. I suspect in the coming weeks she will be vital voice of opposition in the region.
On the Lib-Con side it was positively bulging, though I laregly only had a view of the top of their heads.
Newly-appointed ministers and very green MPs jostled behind the Speaker’s Chair. Conservative Sarah Wollaston, the GP-turned-MP for Totnes, stood at the door behind the Speaker clutching what appeared to be some forms from IPSA, the expenses watchdog. Very sensible.
East Devon Tory MP Hugo Swire, newly-installed as Northern Ireland Minister, was in the thick of it too.
Amid the mêlée, one impertinent Tory was trying to barge them all out of the way.
“Can I just squeeze through?” inquired… oh… it’s our new Prime Minister, David Cameron.
Punctuality man! At least he was there, though. Gordon Brown, having attracted respect for staying on as an MP, let himself down by not showing up for this parliamentary formality. Indeed, in all the gushing of congratulations to the elections winners and losers, he was completely forgotten.
On the Lib-Con frontbench, the behind-the-scenes struggle for government jobs became all too physical.
It began as the senior ministers returned from a brief but constitutional visit to the Lords.
Business Secretary Vince Cable parked himself on the bench first, tactfully leaving a large space either side, resisting the temptation to cuddle up to his new Tory friends.
Next came Theresa May, new Home Secretary but not a natural bedfellow of Mr Cable.
Things were looking tight when Justice Secretary Ken Clarke spot an inch of green leather between Cable and Transport Secretary Philip Hammond, plonking himself down with a real “oomph”, sparking cheers from the press gallery as if a champion wrestler had just sat on a floored opponent.
Just when it was all looking a bit like sardines in a tin, new Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman came along and somehow found a slither seat to perch on. Though it may actually have been Mr Hammond’s knee.
This is the cosy consensus in action.
Sir Peter Tapsell becomes Father of the House, having first been elected an MP in 1959. He had previously served as an aide to Eden, and frankly knows the place inside out.
Presiding over the re-election of John Bercow as Speaker, he had to endure some truly dreadful jokes at his expense, which he did with good grace.
In the end, Bercow was elected without a fuss. Attempts by Tory troublemakers including Nadine Dorries to force a vote were scuppered by Sir Peter.
We were told to be back for 3.10pm tomorrow. Obviously someone has a big lunch planned.
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