In yesterday’s debate on the Queen’s Speech, which was on the theme, ‘Affordable and Safe Housing for All’, I challenged the Government over its proposed overhaul of the planning system, which risks putting even more power in the hands of developers and side-lining local communities. If these proposals go ahead, they will erode protections for green spaces while offering no guarantees that the housing built will be genuinely affordable.

In Bristol, we are committed to building homes AND protecting green spaces of ecological importance from development, such as Brislington Meadows. It’s disappointing that we have not seen a similar ambition from the Government.

I also criticised the Government for its failure to tackle the impending crisis in social care and the lack of action on ‘fire and rehire’, and, in a somewhat niche moment, called on it to amend the Animal Sentience Bill to recognise crustaceans as sentient beings too.

Watch clip here.

Read my speech in full here.