Reeves jettisons 'absurd' Tory onshore windfarm ban

Rachel Reeves has ditched the Conservatives" "absurd" onshore windfarm ban in a bid to reboot the economy, claiming the new Labour government's economic inheritance was the worst since the Second World War.

- KATE DEVLIN, ARCHIE MITCHELL

The chancellor has ordered civil servants to compile a dossier on the state of the economy after 14 years of Tory rule. In a speech at the Treasury, she said she had repeatedly warned about the dire state of the public finances during the general election and “what I have seen in the past 72 hours has only confirmed that”.

“Our economy has been held back by decisions deferred and decisions delayed … political self-interest put ahead of the national interest,” she said.

Ms Reeves also pointed out:

• Public sector workers faced “difficult choices” on pay

• She is prepared for “short-term political pain” to fix Britain’s finances

• Housebuilding targets will involve building on some “green belt” and its boundaries will be reviewed

• Councils will be given newly restored mandatory targets in the drive to build 1.5 million homes

• Labour will not use its large majority to renege on tax promises.

• New Treasury analysis shows the economy would be £140bn bigger had it grown at the OECD average since 2010

She said Labour would look at whether to class onshore wind as a nationally significant infrastructure – a move that would allow large farms to get planning approval more quickly.