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| Westferry planning row: Robert Jenrick to publish documents | Westferry planning row: Robert Jenrick to publish documents |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has agreed to release documents related to a controversial planning decision, after pressure from Labour MPs. | Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has agreed to release documents related to a controversial planning decision, after pressure from Labour MPs. |
| Mr Jenrick told MPs he would publish all "relevant" information later on Wednesday. | Mr Jenrick told MPs he would publish all "relevant" information later on Wednesday. |
| The minister approved a housing scheme 12 days before the developer gave £12,000 to the Conservative Party. | The minister approved a housing scheme 12 days before the developer gave £12,000 to the Conservative Party. |
| Labour says the timing raises "cash for favours" suspicions - but Mr Jenrick insists he did nothing wrong. | Labour says the timing raises "cash for favours" suspicions - but Mr Jenrick insists he did nothing wrong. |
| He said the accusations made against him were "not simply wrong but actually outrageous", but he admitted "things could and should have been done differently". | He said the accusations made against him were "not simply wrong but actually outrageous", but he admitted "things could and should have been done differently". |
| "On reflection, I should have handled the communication differently," he said. | "On reflection, I should have handled the communication differently," he said. |
| Labour had tabled a motion seeking to force the government to release all documents relating to the controversy, something the minister had previously refused to do. | Labour had tabled a motion seeking to force the government to release all documents relating to the controversy, something the minister had previously refused to do. |
| Opening a Commons debate on the matter, shadow communities secretary Steve Reed said it had "blown apart" public confidence in the planning system. | Opening a Commons debate on the matter, shadow communities secretary Steve Reed said it had "blown apart" public confidence in the planning system. |
| "The only way to put that right is for the secretary of state to publish the evidence about what really happened," he told MPs. | "The only way to put that right is for the secretary of state to publish the evidence about what really happened," he told MPs. |
| "If he has done nothing wrong, he has got nothing to fear." | "If he has done nothing wrong, he has got nothing to fear." |
| He said ministers were not allowed to take planning decisions if they have been lobbied by the applicant, or had helped to raise funds from a donor who stands to benefit from their decisions. | He said ministers were not allowed to take planning decisions if they have been lobbied by the applicant, or had helped to raise funds from a donor who stands to benefit from their decisions. |
| The reason for this, he added, is that it "raises questions about 'cash for favours', which would be a serious abuse of power". | The reason for this, he added, is that it "raises questions about 'cash for favours', which would be a serious abuse of power". |
| Mr Jenrick replied by announcing that he would publish all of the relevant documents, including details of discussions the government "would not normally release". | Mr Jenrick replied by announcing that he would publish all of the relevant documents, including details of discussions the government "would not normally release". |
| 'False accusations' | 'False accusations' |
| He said the material would kill off "all the wild accusations and the baseless innuendo" coming from the Labour Party. | He said the material would kill off "all the wild accusations and the baseless innuendo" coming from the Labour Party. |
| "This was a decision taken with an open mind on the merits of the case after a thorough decision-making process," he told MPs. | "This was a decision taken with an open mind on the merits of the case after a thorough decision-making process," he told MPs. |
| Analysis | |
| By Steve Swann, BBC News | |
| Robert Jenrick came out fighting today, lambasting Tower Hamlets council for their house-building record and laying into the London mayor. | |
| It was a strong defence of the need to build more homes. | |
| At the heart of this row is one key question: was Mr Jenrick successfully lobbied by a developer? | |
| The decision to release the documents will have surprised his opponents, but will it provide an answer to that question? | |
| We may soon find out. | |
| Mr Jenrick denied claims by Labour's Toby Perkins that he would not have published the documents without pressure from Labour and that they had been "dragged out of him". | |
| He said the material had taken time to pull together in response to a call from Labour MP Clive Betts, chairman of the communities and local government select committee. | He said the material had taken time to pull together in response to a call from Labour MP Clive Betts, chairman of the communities and local government select committee. |
| "Transparency matters, openness matters and settling this matter because I certainly don't want to be the subject of the innuendo and the false accusations that the Opposition are choosing to peddle," he said. | "Transparency matters, openness matters and settling this matter because I certainly don't want to be the subject of the innuendo and the false accusations that the Opposition are choosing to peddle," he said. |
| He added that it was "not unusual" for ministers to "come to a different conclusion to that of a local authority" and to overrule the government's planning inspectors. | He added that it was "not unusual" for ministers to "come to a different conclusion to that of a local authority" and to overrule the government's planning inspectors. |
| "I stand by the decision I made. I believe passionately that Britain needs to build houses." | "I stand by the decision I made. I believe passionately that Britain needs to build houses." |
| Affordable housing | Affordable housing |
| The row centres around a 1,500 home development at the former Westferry printing works on the Isle of Dogs, in East London. | The row centres around a 1,500 home development at the former Westferry printing works on the Isle of Dogs, in East London. |
| The developer, former Daily Express owner Richard Desmond, personally gave the Conservative Party £12,000 two weeks after the scheme was approved, in January. | The developer, former Daily Express owner Richard Desmond, personally gave the Conservative Party £12,000 two weeks after the scheme was approved, in January. |
| Labour says the timing of the decision to approve the scheme - just a day before a new community infrastructure levy came into force - would have saved Mr Desmond's Northern and Shell company up to £50m. | Labour says the timing of the decision to approve the scheme - just a day before a new community infrastructure levy came into force - would have saved Mr Desmond's Northern and Shell company up to £50m. |
| It later emerged Mr Jenrick had sat next to Mr Desmond, and three Northern and Shell executives, at a Conservative Party fundraising dinner in November 2019. | It later emerged Mr Jenrick had sat next to Mr Desmond, and three Northern and Shell executives, at a Conservative Party fundraising dinner in November 2019. |
| Labour says Mr Jenrick also overruled his advisers to reduce the amount of affordable housing required in the development, potentially saving Mr Desmond a further £106m. | Labour says Mr Jenrick also overruled his advisers to reduce the amount of affordable housing required in the development, potentially saving Mr Desmond a further £106m. |
| Mr Jenrick's decision was challenged by Tower Hamlets Council, forcing the secretary of state to back down and say what he did was "unlawful by reason of apparent bias". | Mr Jenrick's decision was challenged by Tower Hamlets Council, forcing the secretary of state to back down and say what he did was "unlawful by reason of apparent bias". |
| Councillors asked the High Court to order the government to disclose emails and memos around the deal. | Councillors asked the High Court to order the government to disclose emails and memos around the deal. |
| 'Images of development' | 'Images of development' |
| Rather than doing this, Mr Jenrick's lawyers conceded the timing of his decision "would lead the fair-minded and informed observer to conclude that there was a real possibility" that he had been biased. | Rather than doing this, Mr Jenrick's lawyers conceded the timing of his decision "would lead the fair-minded and informed observer to conclude that there was a real possibility" that he had been biased. |
| Mr Jenrick said Mr Desmond had tried to raise the scheme with him during the dinner, and had invited him on a site visit, but that he had told the businessman he could not discuss it and declined the site visit, on the advice of his officials. | Mr Jenrick said Mr Desmond had tried to raise the scheme with him during the dinner, and had invited him on a site visit, but that he had told the businessman he could not discuss it and declined the site visit, on the advice of his officials. |
| Mr Desmond told The Sunday Times last weekend that he had shown Mr Jenrick a promotional video for the scheme on his mobile phone during the fundraiser at the Savoy Hotel. | Mr Desmond told The Sunday Times last weekend that he had shown Mr Jenrick a promotional video for the scheme on his mobile phone during the fundraiser at the Savoy Hotel. |
| When pressed by the SNP's communities spokesman David Linden about Mr Desmond's claims, Mr Jenrick said: "He said he showed me a part of the video and I don't recall exactly what happened, but he did bring out his iPhone and show me some images of the development." | When pressed by the SNP's communities spokesman David Linden about Mr Desmond's claims, Mr Jenrick said: "He said he showed me a part of the video and I don't recall exactly what happened, but he did bring out his iPhone and show me some images of the development." |
| He said he had "informed the developer it was not appropriate to discuss the matter and I couldn't comment on it". | He said he had "informed the developer it was not appropriate to discuss the matter and I couldn't comment on it". |