Lee Rowley has develop into the sixteenth housing minister in 13 years, changing Rachel Maclean who was sacked as a part of the Prime Minister’s wide-ranging reshuffle.
He takes up Maclean’s publish on the Division for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The previous minister had earlier posted that she was “upset” to lose her job.
Rowley was the Parliamentary below secretary of state at DLUHC, after becoming a member of the division final September.
Beforehand, he was Parliamentary undersecretary of state within the Division for Enterprise, Power and Industrial Technique, a authorities whip and Lord Commissioner of the Treasury between September 2021 and July final yr.
Maclean was resulting from current the following stage of the Renter’s Reform Invoice in Parliament tomorrow (14 November), earlier than she was compelled to go away Rishi Sunak’s administration and return to the backbenches.
On social media, she stated: “I’ve been requested to step down from my position as housing minister.
“Dissatisfied and was wanting ahead to introducing the Renter’s Reform Invoice to committee tomorrow and later the Leasehold and Freehold Invoice.
“It has been a privilege to carry the place and I want my successor effectively.”
Underneath Maclean, the duties of the publish coated total housing technique, house possession and the homebuying course of, the non-public rented sector, planning reform in addition to tackling leasehold and freehold abuses.
Rowley is the sixteenth housing minister because the Conservatives entered authorities in 2010.
He has been the MP for North East Derbyshire since he was elected in 2017.
Market Monetary Options chief government Paresh Raja says: “The merry-go-round continues. We’re about to welcome the sixteenth housing minister since 2010, and whereas the chopping and altering of ministerial positions has develop into all too widespread throughout the board lately, the extent of turnover on this specific position is a notable concern.
“Creating clear and constant insurance policies – not to mention delivering on them – is inevitably troublesome with such frequent adjustments in personnel, and this impacts owners, consumers, renters and buyers alike.
“A way of stability is essential in just about each trade, and the property sector will surely profit from an prolonged interval with a single housing minister, though that is solely seemingly after the following normal election.”
Propertymark provides that it’s “irritating” that Rowley has develop into the eighth housing minister since February 2020.
The property agent’s physique’s head of coverage and campaigns Timothy Douglas says: “Propertymark is upset by Housing Minister Rachel Maclean’s departure from the Cupboard.
“This makes it troublesome for any housing laws, whether or not that’s the Renters Reform Invoice or leasehold reform, to maneuver ahead when Housing Ministers preserve coming and going.
“Maclean has engaged with the sector and understood the place reform is required.
“Propertymark wants extra consistency and never change from policymakers. We are going to have interaction with Lee Rowley, to stipulate how Propertymark and its members play a key position within the property sector.”
Housing secretary Michael Gove, broadly considered probably the most competent members of the Cupboard, stays in his publish.
