Housing secretary Robert Jenrick has insisted that he broke no rules in deciding to grant permission to a £1bn development by a Tory Party donor that has subsequently been ruled unlawful.

Challenged in the House of Commons over the PLP-designed 1,500-home Westferry Printworks scheme by Labour shadow housing secretary Steve Reed, Jenrick said he was confident that no rules had been broken and that he took the decision in good faith and with an open mind.

This is despite the fact the government has already conceded it acted with “apparent bias” in deciding the east London residential scheme, by deliberately taking the decision at a time that would have allowed the developer to avoid up to £50m in planning obligations.

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