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Judith questions PM on unlawful planning decision benefiting Tory Party donor

Today at Prime Ministers Questions, Bradford South MP Judith Cummins asked the Prime Minister about the decision by Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick MP to approve a controversial £1 billion housing development in East London.

Mr Jenrick approved the development after sitting next to the developer, Richard Desmond, who is also a Conservative Party donor, at a Tory fundraising dinner. By approving the scheme in this way, the developer avoided a local tax charge of £40 million.

Mr Jenrick has previously admitted showing “apparent bias” in approving the scheme, which has since been ruled unlawful.

Judith asked the Prime Minister about his links with the scheme when Mayor of London and what involvement he had with it recently.

Judith Cummins said, “The Communities Secretary has admitted unlawfully over-ruling his own planning inspector to allow the Westferry Development to go ahead, potentially saving the developer Richard Desmond, who is a Conservative Party donor, £40 million in tax.”

“He did this just weeks after sitting next to the developer at a Tory fundraising dinner.”

“Given that this was the same scheme that the PM tried to push through when he was Mayor of London that reappeared after he entered Downing Street, will he now tell the House what conversations he had with the Secretary of State about the scheme, and will he publish all relevant correspondence between No 10 and the Department?”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson replied, “I’ve had no conversations on that matter whatever, nor any exchanges of any kind.”

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