Another cabinet minister in trouble

[Fambo Number Mive]

After the report of Cabinet minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan being accused of sending a racist message, the Housing Secretary has admitted unlawfully approving a housing development.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has accepted he approved a £1bn east London housing development unlawfully.

The 1,500-home development on the Isle of Dogs, Tower Hamlets, was approved on 14 January - the day before community charges placed on developments were increased.

The timing of the decision meant Conservative Party donor Richard Desmond avoided paying around £40m.

Mr Jenrick accepted his decision was unlawful but denies any bias.

The government's own planning inspector advised against the scheme saying it needed to deliver more affordable housing in what is London's poorest borough.
The inspector also said that with buildings up to 44 storeys high, the development harmed the character of the area and views of Tower Bridge.

Mr Jenrick rejected that advice and approved planning permission for the project.

Local councillors asked the High Court to order the government to disclose emails and memos around the deal.

Rather than disclosing the correspondence, the Housing Secretary's lawyers conceded the timing of his decision "would lead the fair-minded and informed observer to conclude that there was a real possibility" that he had been biased...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-52826751

The decision will now be "re-determined" by a different minister. I can't see them ruling against the project.

Shouldn't Jenrick resign over this? The allegations against Trevelyan seem to be largely ignored by the media and public, perhaps this will be too.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Not only should he resign, he should be waterboarded in bovril.

[bgmnts]

In trouble lol

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Brink of suicide probley

[idunnosomename]

something's come along and has burst our bubble

book us a ticket on the next space shuttle

[Fambo Number Mive]

Update on this:

Labour will step up the pressure this week on the embattled communities secretary, Robert Jenrick, after it emerged that he viewed a promotional video for a £1bn property development before overruling officials to approve it.

According to a report in the Sunday Times, the property developer Richard Desmond showed Jenrick the video on his phone when the pair sat next to each other at a Conservative party fundraising dinner.

"What I did was I showed him the video," Desmond told the Sunday Times, adding that Jenrick had watched it for "three or four minutes", and adding: "It's quite long, so he got the gist."


Jenrick subsequently overturned a decision by a local council and the government's planning inspectorate in order to approve a 500-apartment, 44-storey development at Westferry Printworks, a former printing plan in east London.

Labour will use the opportunity of a three-hour opposition day debate on Wednesday to discuss the controversy.

The shadow communities secretary, Steve Reed, is expected to press Jenrick on whether officials asked him to recuse himself from the decision, since viewing the video would appear to constitute lobbying by Desmond, potentially giving rise to a conflict of interest...

https://amp.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jun/21/jenrick-under-growing-pressure-after-fresh-desmond-revelation

Not sure if anything will come of this since I don't think the government cae how shit they look as they've still got most of the non-Lexit Brexiteers on side.

[Fambo Number Mive]

Jenrick's going to publish

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has agreed to release documents related to a controversial planning decision, after pressure from Labour MPs.

Mr Jenrick told MPs he would publish all "relevant" information later on Wednesday.

The minister approved a housing scheme 12 days before the developer gave £12,000 to the Conservative Party.

Labour says the timing raises "cash for favours" suspicions - but Mr Jenrick insists he did nothing wrong.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53158002