Angela Rayner plays down prospect of Labour MP backlash against ...

Angela Rayner has played down the prospect of a backlash among her own MPs at the government's housebuilding push as she launched a task force for a series of new towns across the UK.

The deputy prime minister - who yesterday announced a shake-up of the planning system to pave the way for 1.5 million new homes over the next five years - sought to dampen suggestions that her own newly elected MPs could oppose the mandatory targets if they proved unpopular in local areas.

Ms Rayner, who is also the housing secretary, told MPs yesterday the government was restoring mandatory housing targets for local authorities after they were scrapped by the Conservatives.

She said the annual target would be increased from 300,000 homes to just over 370,000.

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Asked by reporters on Tuesday whether she was "gearing up for a fight" with Labour MPs and councils over the new measures, the deputy prime minister replied: "Well, Labour councils and Labour MPs know that we've got a housing crisis and they've been very supportive of our manifesto pledge, which was 1.5 million homes, and knowing full well that that meant we had to really drive that.

"What we need is all areas [is] to recognise the crisis we have and then do something about it, and we're going to help them do that by driving through these changes so that we get the houses we desperately need."

Pressed again on whether Labour MPs might oppose new homes if they were not supported by constituents, Ms Rayner argued that "driving forward mandatory local plans means that they will have greater engagement with local communities".

"I think the biggest challenge when I've spoken to communities is that often these houses are not for them," she said.

"They are executive homes, they can't have the affordability. It's not there for them."

Her words come as the government launched an expert task force to spearhead Labour's plans for a fresh generation of new towns across the country.

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The towns, which the new government says will create communities of at least 10,000 homes each, are billed as a part of the largest housebuilding programme since the post-war period.

Sir Michael Lyons, who has played leading roles in regeneration development company the English Cities Fund, will chair the task force and will be supported by housing economist Dame Kate Barker, as deputy chair.

Some of the new communities that are set to be built through the programme will be separate from existing towns while others will be urban extensions and regeneration schemes of existing places.

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Ms Rayner insisted the task force will "work together with local people to help us decide on the right places for these new towns, delivering more homes, jobs and green spaces".

She said the communities would be governed by a "new towns code", which will force developers to ensure the towns are well-connected with infrastructure and public services and are well-designed, sustainable and appealing.

The announcement of the task force followed Ms Rayner unveiling an overhaul of the planning system to address the UK's housing crisis, which saw average private rents rise at their fastest annual pace in February since comparable records began in 2015.

Ms Rayner also said action was needed to tackle high levels of homelessness, over one million households on social housing waiting lists and homes on average in England costing more than eight times the average income.

As part of the planning shake-up, the government is changing the method used to calculate how many houses are needed in an area "so we better reflect the urgency of supply for local areas".

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The rules will also require 50% of new housing to be affordable "with a focus on social rent".

Some £450m of the local authority housing fund will go to councils to provide 2,000 new homes in a plan the deputy prime minister described as "radical" and "urgent".

More than 30 home builders signed a statement supporting the reintroduction of mandatory housing targets and releasing of "grey belt" land - the term used to describe "ugly" areas of land on the green belt including petrol stations and car parks.

The Conservatives have accused Labour of giving the go-ahead to build "1.5 million ugly homes" in England as part of the new planning reforms.