Mortgage lenders give new housing minister a frosty reception
Criticism is led by IMLA's Kate Davies, as the new levelling up secretary Simon Clarke starts his first day in the post.
Mortgage lenders have given new Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary Simon Clarke a frosty reception bemoaning the number of changes.
Clarke is the sixth secretary of state since property market was added to the portfolio in 2018, and replaces Greg Clark who was only in post for nine weeks.
The 37-year-old has some housing credentials having worked at what used to be the MHCLG for seven months in 2020 and yesterday said he relished ‘returning to the department’ and housing.
New kid on block
Kate Davies (main picture), executive director of the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA), says: “The announcement of Simon Clarke to the role of LUHC chief means that the country has now had over twenty different housing ministers since the turn of the century.
“We have seen so many promises from successive governments on how they will improve housing supply, and so much under-delivery, that Mr Clarke will have his work cut out for him in days to come.”
Nick Sanderson, CEO of developer the Audley Group, is also sceptical about the prospects for the new housing secretary: “The bonfire of the secretaries continues, with another new kid on the block in Simon Clarke.
“Let’s hope the fourth secretary in a year can last a little longer than his predecessors and actually effect some much-needed change.”
Local planning power
During Liz Truss’s first Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday, Father of the House, Sir Peter Bottomley illustrated the point perfectly and revealed some Truss housing policy, as he asked the Prime Minister a question relating to handing planning power back to local councils.
Called on to speak, he said, “All sides of the House should wish to help the Prime Minister be successful in tackling the problems which face the country.
“When I raised one of them with the former Prime Minister in July, he said I could talk to the Housing Minister, but the Housing Minister retired after 17 mins of hearing that… ”
The House dissolved in laughter.
Liz Truss agreed the point, saying, “My honourable friend is right, there is not enough power in local hands at the moment, it is too easy for local councils to be overrruled by the Planning Inspectorate and that is certainly an issue that I am expecting my Secretary of State for Housing to look at.”
