Local government secretary Eric Pickles has launched an extraordinary attack on a Labour local authority by accusing it of contributing to the death of a 93-year-old lady through its housing policy.

Mr Pickles told the Conservative Party conference that Newham LBC was 'more concerned about the roof over its head than that over its tenants.' He claimed the council had spent £100m 'on a luxury headquarters' and then 'three years on it is moving back into its old buildings.'