Angela Rayner is understood to have demanded an increase in affordable housing spending, something that Rachel Reeves has yet to approve.
Reeves has yet to approve Rayner’s demands (Image: Getty)
Rachel Reeves has resisted pressure by Angela Rayner to authorise increased spending on social housing, it has been reported. The housing minister, who has committed to building 1.5 million new houses in this parliament, has demanded increased spending in affordable housing is included in the government’s spending review, according to the Telegraph. It is due to be announced next month.
However, the Chancellor is yet to agree to the increased spending as Treasury officials look to balance the books amid a strain on the public purse. With the review expected to arrive on June 11, time is running out for the Deputy Prime Minister to obtain the funding she requires in housing, amid growing tensions between the two most powerful women in the country. The split in opinions of the two on the direction of government was highlighted earlier this week as a leaked document revealed that Rayner had demanded increased taxes on the British people and two benefit cuts.
Rayner has stressed the importance of building new houses (Image: Getty)
Housing has been positioned as one of Labour’s ley pledges over the course of this parliament, with the government keen to reform planning laws to make it easier for new houses to be built.
Rayner has spoken on several occasions about the importance of delivering new homes across the country to address a shortage of affordable housing for working people.
An ally of Ms Rayner told The Telegraph about how important housing was to her, as they warned: “Having less money in the affordable housing pot would be a real problem.”
Speaking at the Social Housing Annual Conference in November, Ms Rayner said: “I want to start with a personal message as well, because this Government’s mission to drive more social housing is a personal mission of mine too.
“I want to say loud and clear that no longer will social housing be seen as an afterthought, or worse actively discouraged.
“Under this Government, affordable housebuilding is the beating heart of our housing plans. We have promised the biggest increase to social and affordable housing and, yes, that also includes council housing too.”
The Chancellor is under pressure ahead of next month’s spending review (Image: Getty)
She added: “I haven’t got to where I am today in spite of coming from a council house, but because of it.
“Because of that security, because of that home that I’m standing here today as Deputy Prime Minister. And I say that loud and proud, because we must remove the shackles of stigma that is too often associated with social housing.”
Funding for Rayner’s Affordable Homes Programme last until next year, with it remaining unclear how the programme will be funded beyond this time.
Rayner is believed to be pushing heavily for that funding to be increased but the Chancellor is operating under tight fiscal constraints amid ballooning government debt and rising inflation.
The Chancellor has remained coy on details of the upcoming spending review, but it is expected that a government U-turn on the removal of the winter fuel payment, announced by the Prime Minister this week, will see the treasury lose much of the £1.5 billion it banked by removing the controversial benefit last yeat.
