John Healey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Housing and Planning, commenting on the Government’s two defeats on its flagship Housing and Planning Bill this evening, said:

“Tory ministers have been losing the argument on their extreme Housing and Planning Bill. After these defeats in the House of Lords, they are now losing votes too.

“Peers from across the House of Lords have told the Government that they must think again on their housing plans which will sound the death knell for new genuinely affordable homes, and is set to be a big let-down for those who want to own a home.

“It is welcome that Ministers have conceded ground on Labour-backed plans to protect affordable homes in rural areas. Ministers must now urgently listen to the wider concerns with the Housing and Planning Bill, including on their own side, and come back with changes to improve this Bill.”