微密圈

Probably not since John Prescott has there been a prominent, household-name politician so closely associated with government ambitions to build its way out of the country鈥檚 housing market failure as Angela Rayner.

While in opposition, Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves would regularly be pictured in hi-vis and hard hats and once the 2024 general election swept Labour into power it was Rayner, the deputy prime minister and housing secretary, who seemed to understand, like Prescott, the importance of housing development 鈥� including social housing 鈥� as well as planning reform.

The parallels with Prescott 鈥� who died last year 鈥� are obvious: both northern, working class, popular within the party and widely recognised by the general public. Both also made it to the office of deputy prime minister.

Of course, it was in her dual role as housing secretary Rayner that was charged with putting housebuilding 鈥� 鈥済etting Britain building鈥� 鈥� front and centre of the Starmer administration.

Now Rayner has resigned and has been replaced by the less high-profile Steve Reed as housing secretary. David Lammy replaces her as deputy prime minister 鈥� but without the housing brief.

Should the housing sector be a little worried that its time at the very top table might be coming to an end?

Reed does have some experience in housing. During his time at Lambeth council, which he led between 2006 and 2012, he was co-chair of the Vauxhall-Nine Elms-Battersea regeneration board 鈥� although whether this will allay concerns is doubtful given how well that particular initiative has gone.

He was also briefly shadow housing secretary between 2020 and 2021, notably using his time in the role to rail against his opposite number Robert Jenrick who had been caught up in the Westferry Printworks scandal.

>> See also: Pennycook keeps housing brief following reshuffle of junior ministers

Reed then spent two years as shadow justice secretary before Starmer appointed him shadow environment secretary in 2023, moving with the role into government following Labour鈥檚 2024 election victory and remaining there until last Friday.

It鈥檚 fair to say Reed has been on a journey in terms of his views of planning and housing. 

As shadow environment secretary he opposed then housing secretary Michael Gove鈥檚 attempted nutrient neutrality reforms, which he described as 鈥渞eckless and irresponsible鈥� before conceding after entering government that the 鈥渟tatus quo is not working鈥�.

Back when he was shadow housing secretary he said Jenrick鈥檚 proposed planning reforms, which suggested giving developers automatic outline permission in designated 鈥済rowth areas鈥�, were designed to 鈥渟ilence communities and hand control over planning to developers鈥�.

Now he is championing Labour鈥檚 planning reforms, which include limiting the number of schemes that can be scrutinised by councillors at planning committees and scrapping key legal challenges against infrastructure schemes.

In an interview with The Telegraph on Sunday, Reed said his mantra was 鈥渂uild, baby, build鈥�, and promised to 鈥渕ove on to the next stage in unleashing one of the biggest eras of building in our country鈥檚 history鈥�.

So how have housebuilders reacted to his appointment?

鈥淗is predecessor made a bold start on reforming the planning system and empowering the English regions to strive for growth,鈥� said Melanie Leech, chief executive of the British Property Federation. 

鈥淲e now need to collectively ensure that that agenda not only continues but that government works with the real estate industry closely to help deliver our collective ambitions.鈥�

>> See also: The Reform party conference: what a Farage government would mean for housing, investment and 鈥榥et-stupid-zero鈥�

Jonathan Layzell, chief executive of housing association Stonewater, said it was essential that Reed sticks to Rayner鈥檚 commitments to affordable housing investment, adding: 鈥淐ontinued clarity and consistency from the government will be key to maintaining momentum and ensuring the sector can keep delivering the homes and support our communities need.鈥�

But Federation of Master Builders chief executive Brian Berry urged Reed not to back any measures that would further increase costs for housebuilders, including proposed reforms to the landfill tax.

鈥淎ny additional cost on delivering new homes would be a backwards step when we need more, not fewer, homes to be built,鈥� he said.

From Reed鈥檚 public statements, it appears likely that he will continue to back Rayner鈥檚 planning reforms as part of the government鈥檚 ambition to build 1.5 million homes by the end of this Parliament. 

It is also very unlikely that the Starmer government鈥檚 focus on affordable housing, with social rented housing prioritised, will change. The government in the summer announced a 10-year 拢39bn Social and Affordable Homes Programme along with other measures, including a 10-year rent settlement, in a bid to boost affordable housing delivery. There has also been an audible sigh of relief in the housing sector that Matthew Pennycook, a figure generally respected in social housing circles, will remain as housing minister. It was Pennycook after all who has been immersed in the technical detais of the government鈥檚 myriad changes to social housing policy, something Rayner did not involve herself in to the same extent.

What Reed will lack though is a direct line into Starmer鈥檚 office and into the top levels of Labour party HQ, both of which Rayner had through her roles as deputy prime minister and deputy party leader respectively.

Rayner was also a totemic figure for the Labour left, a former Corbyn loyalist backed by the party鈥檚 disputatious backbenchers and someone whose voice was ignored at Starmer鈥檚 peril. This is not the case with Reed. 

That suggests the voice of housing  will sound just a little bit quieter in Number 10 and the sector might just have to speak a bit louder to ensure it is heard.