Starmer speaks on housing, cashflow and Arsenal

The prime minister has told BBC London that he cannot "splash the cash that isn't there" when it comes to funding public services.

Sir Kier Starmer said the government's funding had to go hand-in-hand with reforming the way services were delivered.

He also said not enough affordable homes were being built in the capital, and he could not promise any extra cash to local councils or the police.

He was speaking ahead of Labour's annual conference, which starts in Liverpool on Sunday.

Starmer said the government would help London’s Labour mayor Sadiq Khan to deliver more homes by working more closely with developers.

Figures from the London Assembly this week showed that 1700 affordable homes were started in the capital last year.

“It’s so important we get those houses up,” he said.

“We will work with the mayor to drive those numbers up across London.”

But the prime minister refused to say whether he would increase the investment made by the previous Conservative government.

On Wednesday, Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told an event in London the police’s budget had “fallen off a cliff” in the past decade and the funding model needed to be changed to give him more money and more flexibility.

In response, Starmer said he had committed to providing more neighbourhood police officers, but with the police and other public services there needed to be reform.

He also refused to commit to ensuring that the new High Speed 2 rail-link ran right up to Euston, rather than stopping at a new station at Old Oak Common.

He said the project was still under review and he was "not ready" to make a decision.

The prime minister also gave strong support for the plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street, proposed by Sadiq Khan but opposed by the Labour-controlled administration at Westminster Council.

“I back the plan. I am very much in favour of it,” he said.

A life-long Arsenal fan, the prime minister defended arrangements for him to watch future matches from a corporate box, rather than the stands.

“I’ve had a season ticket for many, many years. I’m a regular attender but now, for security reasons, I can’t go in the stands and therefore the club have made arrangements for me to watch from elsewhere, it’s as simple as that".

He added: "Once the security advice is 'you can’t do it' or that it costs the taxpayer an absolute fortune to put police officers in, then we had to make different arrangements - and we have."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]