Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to “focus on immigration first” as Britain’s new leader unveiled his plans for the country at the State Opening of Parliament.
Opened by King Charles and Queen Camilla, the monarch read out the government’s 39 new bills, including the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the UK Energy Bill and a Railways Bill.
Reacting to the UK’s latest housing plans, GB News presenter Ben Leo criticised Labour’s broad targets and claimed it was “ripping off young people”.
Noting reports of the 20 “most vulnerable areas” that Labour will target in its housing revolution, Ben said: “They’re coming for you!”
Ben Leo attacks Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s housing plans for Britain
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These areas, which include Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Birmingham, Leicester, Leeds, Oxford, Norwich and Reading, will be at the forefront of the government’s plans to boost new housing developments over the next five years.
In her first speech as chancellor, Rachel Reeves said she wanted to “revive building in Britain” by overhauling the planning permission system and setting a target of 1.5 million new homes.
Attacking the plans, Ben raged: “If you live in one of these areas, Labour are coming for you.
“They’re going to build these new houses, these new housing developments that I think are horrible, soulless and characterless. And they’re also going to dig up vast tracts of green land to do it.”
King Charles unveiled Labour’s new laws for Britain at the State Opening of Parliament today
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Disagreeing with Ben, co-host Bev Turner noted that the homes, which should be “sold to first-time buyers as a priority”, are necessary and “will help 25-year-olds get into housing”.
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Ben reiterated his anger at the rise of new housing developments, telling GB News: “What I mean is these developers are building very flimsy, horrible houses. They’re completely soulless and they’re ripping you off.
“They are ripping off your children – £300,000, £400,000, £500,000 houses that cost them a few quid to build. I think it’s a complete rip-off. On top of that, they are destroying the beautiful countryside.”
Noting another problem with the King’s Speech, Ben highlighted the lack of immigration measures set out by Prime Minister Starmer.
Ben said: “One aspect of this discussion that is quite often overlooked is immigration. If you’re letting 300,000 people a year into the country, you’re not going to need all these houses.
Ben Leo said new homes being built are ‘ripping off young people’
GB News
“So deal with immigration and then real estate, otherwise you’ll be beating around the bush for years.”
Bev agreed with Ben, adding: “Totally. It’s just a circle all the time, isn’t it?”
Labour has introduced a new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill that will allow police to use their counter-terrorism powers to tackle gangs smuggling migrants into the UK.
Starmer has already scrapped the Conservatives’ previous Rwandan immigration plan. At his first major press conference as prime minister, the Labour leader said the plans were “not a deterrent” and were a “sham”.
