Who’s who in Labour’s levelling up department

New prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has appointed ministers responsible for housing, regeneration and levelling up the UK. Following the installation of Angela Rayner as deputy prime minister and secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities last Friday,  Starmer has handed out briefs for other ministers in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Matthew Pennycook, who has held the shadow housing and planning brief since December 2021, was appointed minister of state. He replaces the Conservative Party’s Lee Rowling. Pennycook, MP for Greenwich and Woolwich, said the appointment was a “real honour”. “Tackling the housing crisis and boosting economic growth is integral to national renewal,” said Pennycook. “Time to get to work.” Melanie Leech, chief executive of the British Property Federation, welcomed the appointment. “It’s great to see him appointed after shadowing the role for a substantial period and he has really got to know the issues,” said Leech. “It is critical for the government to hit the ground running on the economy and deliver homes. We look forward to working with and supporting the minister in his new role.” Oldham West, Chadderton & Royton MP Jim McMahon has also been appointed in DLUHC as minister of state. He has been an MP since 2015 and has held the shadow housing and communities brief twice. First between 2018 and 2020 and after stints in the Department for Transport and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, was reappointed to the department in November 2023. He said: “It is an honour to be appointed minister of state by the prime minister. I am looking forward to working with Angela Rayner and Matthew Pennycook and the team to deliver the change the country voted for and to serve with a sense of public duty. Exciting times.” All three appointments mirror that shadow roles Rayner, Pennycook and McMahon held, bringing some stability to a department that has traditionally seen a lot of churn, particularly around the housing brief. Landsec chief executive Mark Allan said it was important that Starmer understood the need to provide stability to unlock economic growth. “It is important the prime minister understands the need to provide stability. Stability of leadership. Stability of strategy. Stability of regulation,” he said. “With this, we will not only be able to unlock economic growth, but also deliver beyond growth – whether that is shaping safer, thriving high streets, driving towards net zero or spreading opportunity around the country.” Images © https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/