CIOB's insight into the new Labour government ministers

[edit] Introduction

On the back of the recent UK general election, the new Labour-led government has been busy at its first task of appointing ministers and secretaries of state to the various departments across Whitehall.

These individuals will now be responsible for working and shaping the policy of their government departments in line with commitments made during the election campaign and through the King’s Speech.

This article will walk you through who now holds the ministerial positions most relevant to the construction sector, giving a guide to the ministers’ backgrounds and political interests.

[edit] Department for Business and Trade

[edit] The Rt Hon Jonathan Reynolds MP (Secretary of State for Business and Trade)

Mr Reynolds was first elected in 2010.

Since his first election he has served in a number of Labour Shadow Cabinet positions, including as Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Shadow Economic Secretary, Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change and Shadow Minister for Transport.

Prior to entering politics Mr Reynolds worked in a political role at a local authority and trained as a solicitor.

One of Mr Reynolds’ first charges will be to cultivate a positive working relationship between the new government and business while also developing an industrial strategy, tackling late payments and progressing employment law reform.

To signal to businesses that this will be a two-way relationship, Mr Reynolds has set up an independent email inbox, separate from his parliamentary and ministerial inboxs called “Tell Jonathan” where businesses can directly contact him with requests for assistance.

[edit] The Rt Hon Sarah Jones MP (Minister for Industry)

Ms Jones had been a stalwart of Keir Starmer’s previous shadow cabinet having served as Shadow Minister for Industry and Decarbonisation as well as Shadow Minister for Policing and the Fire Service. Ms Jones has now been promoted to Minister for Industry and will take over a portfolio responsible for the construction sector.

First elected in 2017, Ms Jones previously served as an advisor to notable Labour figure Mo Mowlam as well as a press officer in the Labour Party. Alongside this, Ms Jones has served as Head of Campaigns for housing charity Shelter and Head of Public Affairs for the NHS Confederation Trust. She has also worked as a civil servant.

On construction, Ms Jones has been a prominent voice in the debate about building safety, having made her maiden speech on the Grenfell tragedy, calling for sprinklers to be installed in all high-rise council buildings. Ms Jones has also previously spoken about the need to increase interest from young people into construction jobs and apprenticeships as well as improving opportunities for training and employment. Notably, Ms Jones has previously criticised permitted development rights.

[edit] Department for Education

[edit] The Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson MP (Secretary of State for Education)

Ms Phillipson, first elected in 2010, held only one previous ministerial portfolio before assuming her role as Shadow Secretary of State for Education in 2021, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury which she held between 2020 and 2021.

Prior to becoming an MP, Ms Phillipson managed a refuge for women and children fleeing domestic violence.

Ms Phillipson’s will hold one of the most significant portfolios in the new government, with responsibility for managing tensions between unions and the government over teachers’ pay, reforming the current apprenticeship system, improving the condition of schools while maintaining attainment as well as implementing Labour’s plans for the new public body ’Skills England’.

Since being appointed as Secretary of State for Education, Ms Phillipson has stated that she is determined to “deliver the biggest transformation in education that we have seen for a generation.”

[edit] The Rt Hon Baroness Jacqui Smith of Malvern (Minister of State for Apprenticeships and Further Education)

Ms Smith has a name that many in politics will remember having served prominently in both the Labour Governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

During her time in politics, Ms Smith has served as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Education, Minister of State at the Department for Health, Minister for Women, Minister for Schools and most notably as Home Secretary between 2007 and 2009.

After losing her seat in the 2010 general election, Ms Smith undertook a number of new roles including as a consultant for KPMG, presenter of LBC Radio and a chair of various NHS trusts.

Ms Smith returns to public life as a member of the House of Lords.

Since returning, Ms Smith’s maiden speech focused on setting the scene for Labour’s policy on creating opportunity through education and skills. During her speech Ms Smith stated that the new government will:

“create a new era of opportunity, especially for those who have seen nothing but dead ends and closed doors—like the parents who are struggling to pay for childcare; like the children whose life chances are damaged through persistent absence from school; or like the workers who are sidelined by technological whirlwinds that have left them wondering what has happened to their jobs.”

[edit] Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

[edit] The Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP (Secretary of State for Energy Security & Net Zero)

Mr Miliband’s name is probably one of the most recognisable names in Keir Starmer’s cabinet having played a prominent role in Labour politics for nearly two decades. Most notably, Mr Miliband led the party between 2010 and 2015.

After resigning the leadership of the party Mr Miliband returned to the backbenches for five years before being appointed to Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Mr Miliband’s early policy priorities will likely centre around the formation of Great British Energy, a publicly-owned “clean” energy company, which was a centre piece during the election campaign. However, it is worth noting that various details about GB Energy, as it is being known, have not been touched on yet, including its headquartered location.

Alongside GB Energy, Mr Miliband will be in charge of Labour’s push towards net zero which will inevitably need to involve the construction sector.

[edit] Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government

[edit] The Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP (Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Ms Rayner has held a prominent role in the Labour Party since she was first elected in 2015. Since then she has served as a Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions, Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities.

Upon being re-elected in 2024, Ms Rayner now serves both as the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and as Deputy Prime Minister.

Prior to entering parliament, Ms Rayner previously worked for Stockport Borough Council as a carer as well as a trade union representative.

Ms Rayner, alongside Minister for Housing and Planning will be the central figures in the ongoing debate about changing the planning system to allow for the development of new homes across the UK.

[edit] Matthew Pennycook MP (Minister for Housing and Planning)

Having previously served as Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning from December 2021 until the formation of the current government. Mr Pennycook is well known to the industry and well established as a receptive voice in the ongoing debate about reforming the planning system.

Prior to joining parliament, Mr Pennycook worked at a number of third sector organisations including Child Poverty Action Group and the Fair Play Network before becoming a researcher for the Resolution Foundation.

On the built environment, Mr Pennycook has commented on a variety of issues, unsurprisingly given his remit. Having discussed the speed at which he wants to review the compulsory purchase process as well as enact previously ditched attempts at renters reform at length, we can see that Mr Pennycook wants to make a quick impact at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. In his first interview since taking office, Mr Pennycook highlighted the importance of increasing housing supply, but in a way that ensures that local infrastructure, like schools or GP surgeries are built at the same time. In this interview Mr Pennycook committed to setting up an “independent taskforce” to ensure that the right locations for new towns were identified.

CIOB is aware from previous engagement with Mr Pennycook that he has taken a particular interest in building safety, focusing on ensuring that costs for cladding remediation or associated safety issues are not unfairly passed onto renters or leaseholders.

This article originally appeared on the CIOB policy website on 2 August 2024. It was written by CIOB Public Affairs Officer David Parry.

--CIOB

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