Starmer says planning reform is ‘first step’ for Britain’s future growth

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to reform the planning system as he laid out the party’s five key “missions” if it wins the next general election. In a speech in Manchester yesterday, Starmer pledged that the UK would become the fastest growing economy in the G7 under a Labour government. Starmer said: “When we say growth depends on seizing the opportunities of tomorrow, not falling behind, on embracing technology, innovation, science, we can say the first steps are a reformed planning system, a more powerful British Business Bank… and a credible industrial strategy that gets everyone around the table and removes barriers to investment.” His other “national missions for national renewal” would be reforming the NHS, tackling crime, breaking down barriers to opportunity and making Britain a “clean energy superpower”. “A mission-driven government is the complete opposite of what we have at the moment, where we always have a quick fix and never the cure,” Starmer said. He also promised a “credible” industrial strategy and a “real partnership between government and business”. Labour has also pledged to devolve more power away from Westminster. In a document supporting the five missions, it said: “Too much power is hoarded in Westminster. Despite initiatives such as ‘levelling up’, no-one has had the courage to properly devolve power from the centre to communities.” To send feedback, e-mail piers.wehner@eg.co.uk or tweet @PiersWehner or @EGPropertyNews Photo by Michael Bowles/Shutterstock (13423767aj)