Angela Rayner has been branded an ‘arch-hypocrite’ after she campaigned for allotments in her own constituency but sanctioned their sell-off elsewhere.
Before Labour came to power, Ms Rayner flagged up the work on community sites, describing one as a ‘fantastic initiative’.
But since the party has led the Government, the Deputy Prime Minister, who also runs the Ministry of Housing, has personally approved the sale of eight allotment plots across the country.
The sites owned by councils are protected from development or sale under the Allotments Act 1925 but this can be allowed with a sign-off from the housing minister.
Among the allotment plots sold under Ms Rayner’s watch is one in Storrington, West Sussex, to make way for 78 homes. Two in Bolsover, Derbyshire, are also earmarked for closure.
