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Pennycook named minister as he vows to tackle housing crisis

News08 Jul 2024James Wilmore

Two junior ministers have been appointed to the re-named Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), with one expected to take the housing brief and the other local government.

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Matthew Pennycook
Matthew Pennycook has been appointed a minister of state at MHCLG (picture: Chris McAndrew)
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Two junior ministers have been appointed to MHCLG, with one expected to take the housing brief and the other local government #UKhousing

Matthew Pennycook, who was Labour’s shadow housing minister for two-and-a-half years up until last week’s election, has become a minister of state at MHCLG. 

 

Under the new government, the department has reverted to its previous name, having been known as the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities since September 2021. 

 

Mr Pennycook, the MP for Greenwich and Woolwich, has yet to be officially confirmed as housing minister. 

 

However in a post on X, he responded to his appointment by writing: “Tackling the housing crisis and boosting economic growth is integral to national renewal. Time to get to work.”

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He will be the 16th person to hold the role in the past 14 years.

 

Mr Pennycook said last September that in power, Labour will the repurpose the Affordable Homes Programme to direct it “overwhelmingly toward the provision of social rented homes”.

 

However he has admitted that getting out of the housing crisis will not be “quick and easy”. 

 

Jim McMahon, who has been shadow minster for English devolution and local government since last November, was also confirmed as a MHCLG minister of state.

Mr McMahon, who was re-elected MP for Oldham West and Royton last week, has previously served as Labour’s shadow transport secretary and shadow environment secretary.

 

He is also a former leader of Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council and currently chair of the Co-Operative Party.

 

An MHCLG spokesperson told Social Housing: “Confirmation of the portfolios will happen in due course.”

 

The two men will report to Angela Rayner, who was confirmed as the department’s new secretary of state on Friday, following Labour’s landslide victory. Ms Rayner was also appointed deputy prime minister.

 

Update: 9 July, 11.15 AM: This story was updated to reflect the name change to MHCLG from DLUHC.  

 

 

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