Industry blasts housing minister ‘revolving door’

Industry figures have slammed the latest cabinet reshuffle as “frustrating” and in dire need of a new approach, after it was presented with yet another new housing minister. Rachel Maclean (pictured) is set to become the sixth housing minister to take on the role in the past 12 months, following prime minister Rishi Sunak’s reshuffle this week. The upcoming appointment of Maclean – the 15th housing minister since 2010 – comes as the Treasury reins in spending by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and permanent secretary Jeremy Pocklington leaves the department. Hugely frustrating Real estate leaders were broadly angered by yet another change in personnel, with many underlining concerns that the government is appointing people with only a “surface-level” understanding of the problems affecting the housing sector. Stuart Baillie, Knight Frank’s head of planning, said: “How can we sensibly plan for any kind of future like this? This has been a revolving door role for years; we need to find a way to keep housing ministers in post for longer than a few months if we have any hope of making serious and sustained improvements to the fractured housing and planning system.” Melanie Leech, chief executive of the British Property Federation, said: “It is hugely frustrating to see the rapid departure of yet another housing minister in the middle of both significant policy changes and uncertain market conditions. Above all we need clarity and stability from government to help unlock the new homes the country so vitally needs.” Peter Hardy, real estate partner at law firm Addleshaw Goddard, said a new approach was needed, instead of appointing someone “who has only a surface-level understanding of the many myriad issues affecting the industry”. “If there’s nobody within the commons that fits the bill, the prime minister should take on an experienced housing industry professional from outside government,” said Hardy. Politics over priorities While previous housing minister Lucy Frazer only officially held the post for 91 days, she lasted longer than her predecessor, Lee Rowley, who was only confirmed in the post for 45 days. His predecessor, Marcus Jones, lasted 62 days. Nick Fell, head of residential at Rapleys, said: “The fact we cannot even have a housing minister for longer than three months highlights the real problem – politics is getting in the way of priorities. Something needs to be done that will fix this broken system, fast.” Westminster insiders offered alternative takes for why the change was made. Some said that Frazer was a “rising star” whose talents would serve better as culture secretary. Others said it displayed the PM’s potential lack of interest in the department, while some said it highlighted his possible lack of interest in appearances. Elsewhere in the rejig, DLUHC’s long-standing civil service head Jeremy Pocklington was shuffled out to take over at the newly-formed Department of Energy. Pocklington, who was permanent secretary since 2020 and previously director general for housing, has been replaced by Sarah Healey. She has moved over from The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, where she has been permanent secretary since April 2019. Ulterior motives One insider said that the moves show Sunak’s intentions. “He isn’t interested in whether it upsets people or looks bad, he just wants the best people in the right jobs,” said one source. Speculation has mounted that the changes at DLUHC occurred after levelling up secretary Michael Gove was offered the role of science secretary the night before the reshuffle, which he turned down. John Glen, chief secretary to the Treasury, recently stepped in to prevent the DLUHC from signing off spending on any new capital projects. The move effectively places the department in special measures, which is a tactic usually deployed only when the Treasury has significant concerns over value for money. A government spokesperson said that levelling up remained “the government’s central mission”, but did not deny the new strictures. They added: “DLUHC will continue to deliver its existing programme of capital projects as planned.” One Westminster insider said that regardless of the Treasury tightening its grip or the change in ministers, “the thing to note is that the senior person in DLUHC has refused to move because he regards it as too important”. Outside of DLUHC, the prime minister has restructured the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. That has now been carved into new departments, with business secretary Grant Shapps becoming secretary of state for energy security and net zero; culture secretary Michelle Donelan becoming secretary of state for science, innovation and technology; and one-time levelling up minister Kemi Badenoch becoming secretary of state for business and trade. Everything you need to know about the new housing minister Maclean, who became MP for Redditch in Worcestershire in 2017 after working at HSBC, was previously vice chair of the Conservative Party. Prior to that she was made victims and vulnerability minister under Liz Truss, and held a number of junior ministerial positions before that, including a stint in the Treasury and at transport. Despite working under Sunak in the Treasury, Maclean backed Sajid Javid, then Kemi Badenoch, and finally Liz Truss in the July-September 2022 Conservative Party leadership election. She supported Michael Gove in the 2019 leadership election. Maclean was also co-chair of Andy Street’s campaign to become West Midlands metro mayor in 2017. Speaking in the Commons in November, Maclean said: “On planning and housing, it is right that we always seek to balance the two potentially competing demands of building the new homes our communities and young people need, and of seeking to preserve the reason why people live here in the first place.” She has opposed using farmland for solar farms, stating that they should be “installed on rooftops, car parks, office buildings or brownfield land”. She was a major supporter of Redditch’s bid for £20m of levelling up funding, which was ultimately dismissed by her new department. To send feedback, e-mail piers.wehner@eg.co.uk or tweet @PiersWehner or @EGPropertyNews Image © David Woolfall Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)