What future for rental reform under new housing minister?

Housing ministers come and go with brutal frequency in UK governments of all colours, so yesterday’s departure of Chris Pincher - after two years - was no real surprise.

He’s being replaced by the hitherto low-profile Stuart Andrew who takes up the ministerial position at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Andrew is a landlord and has been MP for the Pudsey constituency in West Yorkshire since 2010; until yesterday afternoon he was deputy chief whip. He has also previously held parliamentary under-secretary roles in the Welsh Office and the Ministry of Defence.  Prior to entering the Commons, Andrew led the fundraising team for Martin House Hospice.

Pincher, a Boris Johnson loyalist, had been tipped to become chief whip in yesteray's small scale reshuffle, but this turned out to be untrue. 

Pincher became housing minister almost exactly two years ago. He was the 19th holder of that post in 21 years - his predecessor, Esther McVey, held the post for just seven months.

Pincher’s departure comes just as the long awaited Renters Reform White Paper nears completion; however in recent months a fellow housing minister at the DLUHC, Eddie Hughes, has been the lead on that major policy issue.

It is not known whether the long-awaited Regulation of Property Agents reform of the sales and lettings side of estate agency - already three years in the making - will now be delayed further.