Rishi Sunak’s latest reshuffle has seen the return of Lee Rowley as Housing Minister, a role he first took – albeit only for 48 days – early in 2022, and one that has seen many predecessors come and go in recent years.
Early reaction to the appointment was mixed, with FMB chief Brian Berry welcoming his return and at the same time praising his predecessor, while Construction Products Association economics director Noble Francis saying the recent churn has led to ‘a few headlines & short-term sticking plaster policies’.
Brian Berry said: “The reappointment of Lee Rowley MP as the new Housing Minister means he should be able to hit the ground running to tackle the growing housing crisis. With housing output set to be at an all-time low the new Minister will need to focus on the barriers stopping new homes from being built.
“Rowley needs to build on the work of his predecessor Rachel Maclean MP who was a strong advocate for SME house builders.”
Noble Francis posted on X, formerly Twitter: “The key problem with the constant churn in Housing Ministers is that the incentives …are solely to grab a few headlines & short-term sticking plaster policies to enable demand & then move on (before you are moved on).
“The incentives …have not been to address the key structural issues in the housing market & house building sector so what we currently have in housing & house building, with poor quality housing, affordability issues & the current collapse in private new build is a consequence of housing policy failure over the medium to long-term.”
