Kemi Badenoch today criticised Labour’s housing proposals, warning Angela Rayner she had been made a “scapegoat” by Keir Starmer and his entourage.
In their first Commons meeting this parliament, the Conservatives’ new shadow housing secretary, Kemi Badenoch, made a number of disparaging remarks about her Labour opponent ahead of her expected leadership bid.
Mrs Badenoch gave Angela Rayner a warm welcome on her first appearance at the government podium, but only because “it’s only going to get worse from here”.
Sharing her knowledge as a former Secretary of State, Ms Badenoch joked: “I can tell the right honourable lady she was set up!”
“It is quite clear that the bills and policies in the King’s Speech that she refers to were not written by her, but by the Chancellor and her advisers – we all know that! We have looked [Rachel Reeves] She announced them in much more detail in her speech last week.
“I am sorry to say to the right honourable lady that her colleagues… have written a manifesto and made promises that are not deliverable, and hung them around her neck and said, ‘Angie, go ahead and sell it!’
She also poured salt on Labour’s wounds after many of Ms Rayner’s fellow MPs in opposition were duped by Sir Keir into not becoming ministers after the election.
Ms Badenoch said she was sorry to see those who “worked for free, working in opposition for years, only to see the children of elected officials getting cars and ministerial salaries when their first speeches are written!”
She said, “Ouch, Sue Gray was much nicer to me when she worked in my department!”
The Conservative leadership candidate joked: “I think we know who’s in charge – and it’s not the right honourable lady.
“She was stitched up. They made her the scapegoat.”
She warned that while Labour was in an easy position to promise massive housing builds on green belt land before the election, that has now changed after the party won half of all green belt seats two weeks ago – up from 17% previously.
Ms Badenoch noted that many members of the government had opposed planning applications in their constituencies, despite the new government’s promise to end the NIMBY phenomenon.
She predicted a delay would quickly emerge, as the government needs to build 800 homes a day to meet its commitment to build 1.5 million homes in the next parliament.
However, the shadow home secretary has pledged to support Ms Rayner through the difficult months ahead.
She joked: “I want her to know that I’m here for her. I’ll be there to hold her hand and walk with her through what’s probably going to be a very difficult time.
“I could even give him some advice, because having worked in this department, I know what needs to be done. I know what we should have done and didn’t do. And I know they’re going to make the same mistakes.”
