Politics latest: Chancellor declares herself a 'YIMBY' as she vows planning 'revolution' - and bites back at Truss claim (2024)

The prime minister's spokesperson has held their first meeting with political journalists in Westminster since the election.

Among the questions were whether Sir Keir Starmer agreed with comments from his business secretary about Thames Water, which he said during the election campaign he didn't want to see nationalised.

"The prime minister agrees," said Sir Keir's spokesperson. "That isn't the plan."

"The government is focused on holding these companies to account."

Thames Water serves 15 million people in London and the South East, and has come under intense pressure in recent years because of its poor record on sewage, leaks, executive pay and shareholder dividends.

It's faced fines and regulatory investigations, raising questions about standards and helping push it into billions of pounds of debt.

Asked during the election campaign whether nationalisation could be a solution, the then shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said "there should be a solution that involves something short of that".

One of the surprises of the early cabinet appointments was that Emily Thornberry, who served as shadow attorney general from November 2021 until the election, was not given the official role in government.

She has not been appointed to any government role in fact - and doesn't sound too happy about it.

Citing work on policies to prevent fraud, support whistleblowers on workplace sexual harassment, and protect women, she said she was "very sorry and surprised not to be able to continue that work in government".

Speaking this lunchtime, a Number 10 spokesperson couldn't offer an explanation for why she hadn't been given a job.

'I served longer than anyone else'

Her statement referenced her "unbroken" eight-and-a-half years in the shadow cabinet, under both Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer, which she says was a "longer record of service than anyone else in that time".

She said she's "always worked my hardest" to keep the party united, support its candidates, and "take the fight to the Tories".

Ms Thornberry said she would still offer "unstinting loyalty" to Sir Keir and his government, which could "change our country for the better".

His chosen attorney general, Richard Hermer, "will do an outstanding job", she added.

The new PM spoke to journalists a little earlier while on a visit to Northern Ireland, and he was asked about relations with the EU.

Sir Keir Starmer said his government wants to "improve relations".

He continued: "We think we can get a better deal than the botched deal Boris Johnston brought home, and we will work on that, understanding the work that needs to be done and the nature of the challenge."

But he acknowledged his government would first have to "demonstrate a commitment to the relationship and the agreements that have already been put in place" by the Tories.

At least seven people have been killed and others are injured after a daylight Russian missile attack on Kyiv this morning, according to local authorities.

Ukraine's air force reported that Russian forces launched multiple ballistic and cruise missiles at Ukraine earlier, with explosions heard and felt across the capital.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said a children's medical centre had been hit, andVoloydmyr Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, accused Russia in a post to social media of "deliberately targeting" children.

Russia claims it does not target civilians.

Nonetheless, the prime minister has condemned Russia's attack.

Sir Keir Starmer wrote on X: "Attacking innocent children. The most depraved of actions.

"We stand with Ukraine against Russian aggression - our support won’t falter."

See the latest on the conflict in our dedicated live coverage here:

Rachel Reeves has concluded her first major speech as chancellor.

She announced some immediate steps to unblock the planning system, and also set out the timeframe for delivering manifesto commitments (see the key points from her speech here).

Stay tuned for the latest political news as the new government gets to work - and read our full report on the chancellor's announcements here:

The chancellor is asked if the people of Yorkshire will get HS2 or not?

HS2 is a high-speed railway that's supposed to transform public transport between London, the Midlands and the North.

The previous government decided to axe the northern leg of the project, which has been plagued in disappointment, delays and spiralling costs.

Rachel Reeves says she will "not make any promises without saying where the money is going to come from".

Next, the chancellor is asked about some previous comments by the former prime minister - and now former MP - Liz Truss.

She famously coined the phrase "anti-growth coalition" when putting forward her economic plans, and Rachel Reeves is asked if she shares the belief that such a coalition exists, and what she will do about it.

The chancellor replies: "The anti-growth coalition are the Conservative Party, and the British people kicked them out of office last week."

She is also asked if there will be mandatory targets for social housing and energy official, and she replies that they will be set out by the deputy PM and the energy secretary in due course.

But Ms Reeves adds that they want to achieve clean power by 2030 and become a "clean energy superpower".

"We don't want to be using more energy than we need, and that includes in our homes," she adds.

A reporter from The Telegraph questions the chancellor on the existing housing stock and how she will encourage older homeowners to downsize.

She also asks if her budget will be given in September or November.

Rachel Reeves starts by saying more homes are going to be built, so people can downsize, with supply currently an issue.

Answering the reporter's budget question, she says she will "do things properly" and will wait for the Office of Budget Responsibility to produce its forecast.

While she doesn't give an exact answer, she does say the date of her budget will be confirmed before summer recess.

Sky's economics and data editorEd Conway is up now, and asks the chancellor to be more specific on when people should expect to see growth in the economy.

Rachel Reeves says there is "no time to waste" on implementing measures.

"We want to get going," she says, adding that people have voted for change and the government is "getting on with the delivery".

However, she notes that she will not be able to "turn things around overnight", saying the government faces a "dire inheritance".

"These are the first steps that we will take to bring that growth back to the economy," she adds.

"I mean business with getting on with the work that's needed to unlock that growth."

She says she will be holding a budget later in the year.