Sunak stands by pledge to protect green belt after Starmer housing comments

PM draws dividing line with Labour, after opposition leader’s call for building ‘where appropriate’ to make homes more affordable

• UK politics live – latest updates

Rishi Sunak has stood by his leadership pledge to protect the green belt in England after the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, this week said it should be built on “where appropriate” to make housing more affordable.

The prime minister doubled down on his insistence that councils should not have to consider the green belt for development and emphasised he was moving away from housing targets, despite the crisis in affordable housing making it difficult for younger people to rent and buy.