Appointment follows landslide victory for Keir Starmer’s Labour party

Angela Rayner has been officially appointed as secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities. 

The newly re-elected MP for Ashton-under-Lyne has held the housing brief in Labour’s shadow cabinet since 2023 and was widely expected to take it into government. 

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Angela Rayner has been appointed housing secretary by Keir Starmer

Labour has so far won 412 seats in yesterday’s election, with only a handful of seats left undeclared, giving the party a landslide as it returns to power for the first time in 14 years. 

Housebuilding has been at the centre of Labour’s manifesto, with the party pledging planning reforms, new towns, 1.5 million new homes and changes to boost affordable housing. 

Rayner, who will also serve as deputy prime minister of the country, is expected be at the centre of delivering these plans. 

Rayner who grew up in a council house has in the past placed special emphasis on council housing as creating opportunity.

“It was a council home that once gave me that security - security that broke down the barriers to opportunity,” she said in a speech to the Local Government Association (LGA) last year. 

Besides Rayner, Britain’s new prime minister has also appointed Rachel Reeves as chancellor of the exchequer and Pat McFadden as Duchy of Lancaster. 

The four are reportedly set to form a “quad”, who will oversee key strategic decisions for the government. 

>>See also: Five things you need to know about Angela Rayner and her views on housing

>>See also: ‘A new dawn’ – housing leaders hopeful of meaningful change as Labour lands huge majority

>>See also: After the Labour landslide, it’s time to rebuild

>>See also: Planning reforms, new towns, 1.5 million homes and changing the Right to Buy…. what the new government has promised for housing

It is so far unknown whether Matthew Pennycook, Rayner’s deputy as shadow housing minister in opposition, will continue with the same brief as Keir Starmer puts together his team for government.  

Rayner took the shadow housing responsibility from Lisa Nandy last year and will now take over from political veteran Michael Gove as secretary of state. 

Gove, a controversial housing secretary who watered down planning rules while enacting tougher restrictions on building safety and social housing maintenance, announced in May that he would not stand for re-election. 

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