Overview

• Labour's Planning and Infrastructure Bill proposes allowing councils to purchase land at current market value, potentially reducing payouts to farmers and landowners for development purposes.
• Farmers express concerns over the policy, citing it as a further strain following recent inheritance tax changes that affect agricultural properties worth over £1 million.
• Charities warn that proposed cuts to disability benefits, expected in the upcoming Spring Statement, could push 700,000 disabled households into poverty, urging the government to reconsider.
• Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner defends the land reforms as necessary for achieving Labour's housing and infrastructure goals, including building 1.5 million homes by the next election.
• Critics argue that both policies risk alienating rural and vulnerable communities, with calls for more equitable approaches to land use and welfare reform.