DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Green spaces are the lungs of our nation

In one of his many verbal gaffes, former deputy prime minister John Prescott once declared: 'The green belt is a Labour achievement. And we intend to build on it.'

At the time, it was laughed off as just another faux pas by that most linguistically challenged of politicians. Today, however, it seems his words were prophetic.

If Labour wins power, Sir Keir Starmer plans to reassess the green belt with a view to reclassifying parts of it for residential and commercial use.

In addition, councils would be set mandatory targets for new building and powers of local protest would be heavily diluted. New Labour's mantra was 'Education, Education, Education'. Sir Keir's appears to be 'Build, Build, Build'. Anywhere and everywhere.

It's true, of course, that Britain needs more homes. Migration has driven a rise in population of ten million since 1997. They all need somewhere to live.

But ripping up planning rules to allow hugger-mugger construction on precious green spaces is not the answer. It would hugely diminish our quality of life without solving the problem.

There are better ways. The Campaign to Protect Rural England says some 500,000 new homes already have planning permission but are not yet being built. Why?

Its research also shows there is enough disused 'brownfield' land available in and around our main conurbations to build a further 1.2 million houses and flats.

Building firms prefer greenfield sites because they generally need less preparation. But they are the lungs of the nation.

Contrary to Lord Prescott's boast, the green belt was introduced by a Tory government nearly 70 years ago to protect the spaces around large towns and cities from urban sprawl. It was meant to ensure city-dwellers had easy access to countryside, to foster conservation and to encourage regeneration of derelict urban land.

Not every green belt acre has been sacrosanct since, but the principle has held firm. To trash it now in the vain hope of meeting paper targets would be a betrayal.

And we're not talking only about homes. To realise its 'green revolution', Labour will need to carpet over huge areas of the countryside with inshore wind turbines, solar farms, and a plethora of pylons.

Will local people have any legal right to resist large-scale developments on their doorstep? Given Sir Keir's ebullience on the matter, hardly likely.

The Office for National Statistics predicts that by 2036 the UK will see a further population increase of 6.1 million – overwhelmingly the result of migration.

If Labour truly wants to solve the housing crisis – not to mention NHS waiting lists and school place shortages – it should start by trying to limit this influx. But it won't.

The party's come-one-come-all approach to asylum guarantees that even if it does concrete over the green belt, there will never be enough homes to meet demand.

Daring to believe...

Perish the thought that England's footballers should ever go easy on their long-suffering fans.

They started as favourites for the Euro 24 championships yet, for 95 minutes yesterday, they were second best to Slovakia – a team ranked 45th in the world.

With millions at their wits' end, a moment of brilliance by wunderkind Jude Bellingham turned the tide and they found a way to win. Can they now embrace the spirit of 1966 where, after a lacklustre opening, they went on to secure the World Cup? The Mail fervently hopes so. We're backing England!