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.
It comes as councils face a reported £8billion funding shortfall by the end of this Parliament.
Earlier this month, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Ms Rayner had put the ‘nail in the coffin’ of allotments by allowing councils to sell off the land. An allotment holder himself, Mr Corbyn said it would ‘fill many with deep dismay’.
But just three years ago, Ms Rayner visited a community garden allotment in Droylsden, Greater Manchester, praising it as a ‘fantastic initiative’.
Writing on her website, she added: ‘Those that work on the allotment say the initiative has also helped them through some tough times and reduced loneliness and isolation in the area.
‘They hold regular open days where residents can turn up and take food for free. The fruit and veg bags are topped up with store cupboard essentials to help those struggling with the cost of living crisis.’ She also hailed other projects in her Ashton- under-Lyne constituency and Curzon Ashton Football Club which runs an allotment programme for ex-servicemen and women suffering from loneliness.
Tory housing spokesman Paul Holmes said: ‘Ms Rayner has been exposed as an arch-hypocrite, the ultimate Nimby who thinks selling off everyone else’s allotments is fine – just not in her back yard.
‘By declaring war on Jeremy Corbyn’s treasured allotments, she has sown the seeds for the next iteration of Labour’s
Left-wing civil war. Rather than trying to prune her rivals by any means necessary, perhaps she should grow up and focus on what the country really needs to cultivate.’
But a Ministry of Housing spokesman said ministerial approvals for sales last year, half of which were under the previous Tory government and half under Labour, were lower than in previous years.
He added: ‘We know how important allotments are for communities and that is why strict legal criteria are in place to protect them.
‘It is simply untrue to suggest there is any change in the policy. The rules have been in place since 2016 and have not changed.’