Michael Gove has been reappointed as secretary of levelling up, housing and communities in Rishi Sunak’s new cabinet
Michael Gove last served as levelling up secretary in July 2022, when he was fired by then-prime minister Boris Johnson.
Gove was notably the only known member of the government to be fired at the time, amid 57 ministerial resignations.
Greg Clark then became levelling up secretary in July, before Liz Truss replaced him in the September cabinet shuffle with Simon Clarke.
Gove will be expected to continue delivering the promises of the Building Safety Act, as well as the ongoing cladding remediation works that are still needed on over 300 buildings across England and Wales.
Industry reacts as Michael Gove is reinstated as secretary of levelling up, housing and communities
Simon Cox – managing director at Walter Cooper:
“These delays and changes to government have cost the country and economy billions. I hope Michael Gove can bring an element of consistency to the role we’ve not seen in the past few months, and that he’s willing to engage with the housebuilding community to tackle the real issues at the heart of the housing crisis. It’s time to get on with the job, bring back a housing target and focus on the reality of the chronic housing shortage we face.”
Melanie Leech, chief executive of the British Property Federation, reacted to Michael Gove’s appointment as Secretary of State at DLUHC:
“Michael Gove will be able to hit the ground running and we look forward to working with him again. The property industry is a critical partner in levelling-up and by unlocking investment we can deliver the changes we need to see in our communities up and down the country.
“This summer we lost vital time on delivering on the Government’s agenda and urgently need a consistent and steady hand on the key issues of the day – housing supply, regeneration and net zero – which are all critical to the UK’s growth ambitions and international competitiveness.”
