Rayner forces councils to build 370,000 homes as Abbott leads Labour rebellion on Reeves’ spending cuts – live

Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has declared that the UK is living the “most acute housing crisis in living history” as she announced a radical reform to the country’s housing planning system.

Addressing the Commons, the housing secretary has promised to fix the Tories’ legacy by bringing back mandatory housing targets of 370,000 a year on councils.

Under the plans, Ms Rayner announced a review of the green belt if councils do not meet the housebuilding targets.

Diane Abbott has led a Labour rebellion against Rachel Reeves over her brutal public spending cuts labelling the move “renewed austerity”.

It comes as Ms Reeves warned “more difficult choices” are coming after axing winter fuel payments for many pensioners in a bid to help plug a £22bn black hole in the public finances .

The chancellor unveiled plans to tackle the projected overspend, including cuts to infrastructure projects and an end of winter fuel payments for people not in receipt of means-tested benefits.

Following her speech, she doubled down on accusations that Jeremy Hunt “lied” to the public and to MPs during the election campaign about the state of public finances.