Keir Starmer’s planning bill will “push the public towards Reform”, a Labour MP has said as he urges his colleagues to back amendments to the legislation.

Chris Hinchliff, MP for North East Hertfordshire, has submitted a package of amendments to the bill, which as it stands, lets developers “pay cash to trash nature”, he said. These will be debated in parliament during the report stage in early June.

One of his amendments, to protect chalk streams, was rejected by the government this week. A growing number of backbenchers are becoming concerned and angry about the bill, with Clive Lewis and Terry Jermy among those supporting amendments to strengthen protections for nature.