Localism Bill is NIMBYS' charter, says Labour MP
So what's the height of political abuse these days? Derby North Labour MP Chris Williamson needs little prompting.
If he calls you a "NIMBY", then on the scale of political invective, you're are pretty low.
The former leader of Derby City Council has got it in for council leaders rushing to embrace the Coalition's "Localism Bill". It's due to be published shortly and will formally abolish the last Labour government's controversial targets to build new homes; 20,000 each year in the East Midlands alone.
The other week, the Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles lost a High Court hearing. It ruled that his announcement last summer to scrap Labour's housing targets was unlawful. So until the Localism Bill becomes law, those targets remain in force.
That's left some council leaders uncertain.
"In simple terms, we are in limbo land," Councillor Richard Blunt, the Conservative leader of North West Leicestershire told me.
"Eric Pickles is telling us the Localism Bill will change the world we live in... which I hope it will... but the decision means we are in the old world of Labour targets. The reality is that house builders and councils are caught in the middle."
That's why Chris Williamson, now one of Labour's local government shadow ministers, launched his broadside against NIMBYS.
"The Localism Bill is simply a NIBYS' charter," he says.
"It will allow Tory politicians to ditch plans for the new homes we actually need. The Labour government didn't always meet our housing targets, but we had a system which attempted to address the future demand for housing. At least is was open, fair and protected the green belt," he says.
It could be another year before the Localism Bill becomes law.
That worries Neil Griffiths, of the National Housing Federation in the East Midlands. His organisation represents housing associations.
"There'll be more uncertainty for builders and housing associations wanting to build new homes. They won't know where to build, what to build and when to build it," he told me.
"It's not ideal at all because it's getting more and more difficult for people to buy their own homes. With the recession, house prices aren't going up but they are still very unaffordable and people are struggling to get mortgages as well."
Ken Clarke's Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire felt the heat of public anger over controversial developments under Labour targets. It was over plans for 1,200 new homes near a local beauty spot - Sharphill Woods at West Bridgford. Despite the protests by residents, the developers secured the go-ahead on appeal.
Rushcliffe's Conservative leader Neil Clarke says Labour's targets foisted new houses in areas where they weren't wanted. He rejects the charge of being a " NIMBY".
"Eric Pickles has lost a little skirmish in the High Court. The Local Bill will be implemented and that will allow us to make our own local decisions without Labour's top -down targets."
"That's not being a NIMBY.That's representing the concerns of local people."
The East Midlands is the fastest growing region in England these days. As pressure grows for more land for homes, the political language might get very heated... with the air blue with talk of NIMBYISM.
Hello. My name is John Hess. I'm the BBC's Political Editor for the East Midlands and this blog will offer my musings on the political scene from Westminster to closer to home. 
