The Housing Secretary, Robert Jernick, has come under fire for granting planning permission for a £1 billion property scheme two weeks before the developer donated £12,000 to the Conservative Party. Leaked document reveal that Jernick knew that the property tycoon Richard Desmond had only 24 hours to have the development approved by the council before new community charges that would have cost the developer £45 million. The Labour Party have called for an enquiry into the affair.