Johnson loyalists made temporary housing ministers

The Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has been packed with MPs loyal to outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as a result of the political turmoil of last week.

In addition to new Housing Secretary Greg Clark - regarded as a political moderate in Conservative circles - the new housing ministers are Paul Scully, the Sutton and Cheap MP who was regularly used by the government to appear on TV and radio and apologise on behalf of Johnson. He joins the DLUHC from his former post as Minister for London.

Another new appointment is the low profile Marcus Jones, MP for Nuneaton; he has held several senior roles in government, including a junior whip, assistant government whip, and minister for local government. Jones becomes the 21st different housing minister since 1997.

Eddie Hughes - who appeared in the Commons on the front bench, close to Johnson, during last week’s Prime Minister’s Questions - remains as a housing minister as well. Hughes was one of the architects of the A Fairer Rented Sector White Paper and Renters Reform Bill.

The new Prime Minister to be elected in the coming months is likely to reshuffle the ministers and possibly appoint a new Secretary of State.

Nathan Emerson, Propertymark chief executive, says: “We have previously met Greg Clark when he held the equivalent position in what was Department of Communities and Local Government. 

"The hope from having someone with this experience is that he will be able to maintain momentum on important issues such as renters reform, leasehold, building and fire safety requirements and regulation standards amongst property professionals.”

*Former housing minister Grant Shapps has now declared himself as one of the many candidates vying to become Tory Party leader; also standing is Kemi Badenoch, a former minister at the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities until she resigned last week.