And there we are, we have two (so far) new housing ministers.
But, for once, and as opposed to the 16 (16! Five in the last two years!) between 2010 and 2024, it isn’t because their predecessor was useless/promoted/resigned for unlawfully doing things for mates/resigned to bring down their own PM/was appointed by a very temporary PM/supported the wrong person in yet another leadership contest/etc..
No, we have a whole new government, and one that in its first three days at least, appears to be competent. That beats any post 2015 government for starters.
Angela Rayner is the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
(How long the LUHC departmental name will last is anyone’s guess. I doubt it will be long. But given the new Govt’s commitment to starting work right away, a change of logo and letterhead is probably not on the immediate agenda.)
Matthew Pennycook is the Minister of State for Housing (and we’ll have to see exactly what that covers).
GIven a) Labour’s manifesto commitments (our note), b) Rayner’s clout within the party and government, and c) Matthew Pennycook’s very detailed knowledge of the sector and where we are now, after his incredibly detailed work as shadow minister on the late Renters (Reform) Bill and the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act (still largely to be brought into force via regulations), this strikes me as a clear recipe for getting things done, and done by knowledgable and capable people.
And that is not something that could be said of the last 14 years…
(Does anyone remember Esther McVey’s 7 month tenure as housing minister? Or Lucy Frazer’s 4 month tenure?)
* https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-insect-overlords