The rapid turnover in housing ministers has continued this morning with Secretary of State Sajid Javid being appointed Home Secretary, to succeed Amber Rudd.
Javid was the first housing minister with a seat in cabinet for many years.
He is succeeded by James Brokenshire, who does not seem to have had a track record in housing. As immigration secretary, however, he introduced Right to Rent checks.
This morning Brokenshire tweeted: “Honoured to have been asked by the Prime Minister to serve as Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing Communities & Local Government. Looking forward to taking the Government’s agenda forward especially on building the homes our country needs.”
Brokenshire, 50, will have a seat in cabinet, according to Downing Street. He was previously Northern Ireland Secretary, stepping down when he was found to have lung cancer from which he is now said to have fully recovered. He is MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup.
Mark Hayward and David Cox, of NAEA and ARLA Propertymark, said: “We welcome James Brokenshire into his new role as housing secretary, following Sajid Javid’s move to home secretary.
“Over the last 12 months, housing has been high on the political agenda, with Sajid Javid and his team working closely with the industry to make qualifications for property professionals compulsory, and ultimately make the process of buying, selling, renting or leasing a property better for consumers.
“We look forward to meeting the new minister and working with him and his team over the coming months and hope the department’s position and policy focus stays on track.”
Comments (8)
I’ve got the nastiest feeling he was an MP who had previously said that if you remove a rental property from the market it simultaneously lessens the demand. Crazy, ignorant thinking. But then given the fact that the government have just appointed Toby Lloyd, Shelter policy wonk and keen supporter of HPC, as an adviser we can clearly see where the government’s sentiments lie. Further attacks on the sector… INCOMING…!!!
Just seems that being Housing Minister is simply the bottom step of the ministerial ladder.
This is just a complete joke. Successive governments either dont understand the importance of housing and the housing market or just dont care. Nothing is ever done unless nudged by the likes of shelter and one of the most important crisis of this generation is just shoved to one side yet again. Until someone gets a grip and commits some serious time to the role nothing will ever change.
So the genius who decided to make untrained civilians do the Home Office and border security’s jobs, is now in charge of Housing in the country….
I don’t think I want to live in this country anymore…
Great, lets see what ideas this idiot comes up with.
How about abolishing fees for sales?
Morning Smile please
What no incentive to actually complete a paid for agency property transaction?
SELLER BEWARE!
The dictionary definition of ‘Caveat Emptor’ below clearly applies to the buyer, not the seller!
caveat emptor:
noun
the principle that the buyer alone is responsible for checking the quality and suitability of goods before a purchase is made.
“caveat emptor still applies when you are buying your house”
Yep no estate agents fees whats so ever.
While we are at it ban solicitor fees as well.
Why should people be charged to move it’s far too restrictive.
Oh but lets keep stamp duty – You know that tax just for the privilege of moving that is the most expensive in the process. Actually why they are at it why not turn us into a regulated industry while they are at it. Estate Agents and Letting Agents working for nothing and still charging them. Mavellous.
Brokenshire………the irony