'He's given up': Keir Starmer attacks Rishi Sunak for housebuilding targets and cost of living
By Lucy McDaid, Westminster Producer
The Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Rishi Sunak has "given up" during a heated row over housebuilding targets and support for mortgage holders struggling with rising interest rates.
During Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Sir Keir questioned the prime minister on whether the Conservatives would reach their target of building 300,000 new homes a year, with Mr Sunak primarily focused on hitting back with examples of Labour's policy U-turns.
Sir Keir asked the prime minister if he could "point to a single person in housing, in construction, anywhere" who thinks he'll hit his target of 300,000 new homes a year.
Mr Sunak replied with a list of what the Conservatives have achieved, including "record numbers of new home building".
The Conservatives have achieved 'record numbers of new home building', says Rishi Sunak, as he's quizzed on housebuilding targets during Prime Minister's Questions
Mr Sunak said to Sir Keir: "He talks about targets, so let's be clear, I promised to put local people in control of new housing, I delivered on that policy within weeks of becoming prime minister.
"But I am confused... because first the shadow community and housing secretary said communities should have control, but he then said we should get the targets back and disempower local people?
"I do want to give him some advice, I don't think it's local people that are the problem, it's the Labour Party policy."
Sir Keir claimed the prime minister had "crumbled to his backbenchers and scrapped mandatory housing targets", while Mr Sunak quipped that the majority of Labour's shadow cabinet doesn't want to see housebuilding in their constituencies.
The Labour leader then moved onto mortgages and said Mr Sunak had "given up" in the face of increased pressure to pass on rate increases to savers and relieve mortgage holders.
He said: "His failure isn't just shattering the dream of those who desperately want to own their own home. It's also hitting those who already have a mortgage."
Labour described the current situation of high interest rates as "economic chaos" and added: "How can they [Conservatives] ever look the British people in the eye again and claim to be the party of home ownership?"
The Labour leader says Rishi Sunak has 'given up' in the face of 'economic chaos'
Mr Sunak was also fiercely grilled by the SNP's Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, who asked "the near billionaire" if he had ever struggled to pay a household bill.
But defending his party's record, Mr Sunak said "mortgage rates are rising because of inflation" and it's "absolutely the right policy to tackle halving inflation and reduce it back to target".
As he has repeatedly stressed, Mr Sunak said it is right to make "difficult decisions" in order to be fiscally responsible, while people need to "be patient" before they see any impact.
He pointed to the "practical steps" announced by Jeremy Hunt last week, which will see mortgage lenders offer a series of steps to help consumers with their monthly repayments.
These measures are voluntary for lenders, something the opposition has criticised for not going far enough.
Before Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, the chancellor held a meeting with regulators to discuss how they can use their powers to crack-down on so-called "profiteering" retailers who are being accused of not passing down easing wholesale costs to consumers.
The consumer watchdogs, including Ofwat, Ofgem, Ofcom and the Financial Conduct Authority, will set out plans to ease the burden of rising prices, Mr Sunak said in the Commons.
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