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The housing sector candidates who became MPs
Last month, Inside Housing profiled a swathe of candidates from the housing sector who were standing in the general election. How did they get on?
Former Clarion director Andrew Lewin won Welwyn Hatfield for Labour with 19,877 votes and 41% of the vote share.
He unseated Conservative cabinet member Grant Shapps, who secured 16,078 votes and 33% vote share.
Mr Lewin worked at Clarion for seven years, first as head of external communications and then director of communications from 2021.
Jenny Riddell Carpenter, managing director at Cratus Group, became the first ever Labour MP for Suffolk Coastal with 15,672 votes and 32% vote share. She narrowly beat former deputy prime minister Thérèse Coffey, who received 14,602 votes and 30% vote share.
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Before joining the PR and planning consultancy, Ms Riddell Carpenter worked at the Built Environment Communications Group, See Media PR and large London landlord L&Q, where she was head of merger communications.
Dan Tomlinson, principal policy advisor at the anti-poverty charity and thinktank Joseph Rowntree Foundation, won in Chipping Barnet for Labour. He secured 21,585 votes and 42% vote share, defeating Conservative Theresa Villiers, who won 18,671 votes and 37% vote share.
The vanquished Ms Villiers is best known in housing circles for leading a Conservative backbench rebellion against mandatory housing targets for councils, leading the government to make them “advisory” – a move that Labour has pledged to overturn early in office.
Next, Antonia Bance, former head of campaigns at Shelter, became the new Labour MP for Tipton and Wednesbury, with 11,755 votes and 37% of the vote share.
From 2011 to 2014, Ms Bance was head of campaigns at the homelessness charity, leading on campaigns to build more homes and fix private renting. Most recently, she was head of campaigns and communications at the Trades Union Congress.
Mike Reader, a director at construction company Mace, won Northampton South for Labour with 16,890 votes and 39% vote share. He unseated Conservative MP Andrew Lewer, who received 12,819 votes and 29% vote share.
A self-described “passionate advocate for the built environment”, Mr Reader has promised his constituents a home-upgrades programme to cut energy bills.
Enfield Council leader Nesil Caliskan stormed to victory in Barking, with 16,227 votes and 45% vote share. Her nearest rival was Reform UK candidate Clive Peacock, who took just 5,173 votes and 14% vote share. Labour has held the seat since 1945.
On Ms Caliskan’s campaign website, she claimed to have “secured millions to start building council homes” in Enfield, and in-sourced housing repair services. “I’ll fight for good-quality, affordable homes so young people and local families can get on the property ladder here in Barking,” she stated.
Lee Dillon, locality manager at Sovereign Network Group, took Newbury for the Liberal Democrats with 19,645 votes and 40% vote share. He beat Conservative Laura Farris, who won 17,268 votes and 35% vote share.
Alan Strickland, former corporate director at Southern Housing, won a convincing victory in Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor for Labour with 18,394 votes and 46.2% vote share. His nearest rival was John Grant of Reform UK, who received 9,555 votes and 24% vote share.
Before working at Southern Housing, Mr Strickland spent seven years as cabinet member for housing, planning and regeneration at the London Borough of Haringey. He also spent four years as a non-executive director at Sapphire Independent Housing.
Housing thinktanker Luke Murphy won Basingstoke for Labour with 20,922 votes and 42% vote share. He beat Conservative Maria Miller, who won 14,438 votes and 30% vote share.
Mr Murphy was head of the the energy, climate, housing and infrastructure team at the Institute for Public Policy Research thinktank. He previously worked for the Labour Party as a policy and political advisor for a shadow secretary of state and successive shadow housing ministers, leading their work on housing.
David Smith, chief executive of Oasis Community Housing in Gateshead, won North Northumberland for Labour with 17,855 votes and 37% vote share. He defeated Conservative minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan, who won 12,788 votes and 26% vote share.
Mr Smith’s campaign listed social housing as one of his top five priorities, saying: “We must build more high quality, suitable and affordable social housing within Northumberland.” He also sits on the board of Homeless Link.
Former councillor and homelessness policy worker Rachel Blake took Cities of London and Westminster for Labour with 15,302 votes and 39% vote share. She defeated Conservative Tim Barnes in a close contest, with Mr Barnes winning 12,594 votes and 32% vote share.
Ms Blake worked in the Treasury under Gordon Brown, advising on planning policy. She then joined various local authorities in London, working on homelessness and other aspects of housing. She was deputy mayor at the London Borough of Tower Hamlets from 2020 to 2022 and a cabinet member from 2015 to 2018. Before that, Ms Blake was housing strategy and business manager at Barking and Dagenham Council from 2009 to 2015.
Sarah Russell, former vice chair of Wythenshawe Community Housing and a long-standing housing non-executive director, was elected Labour MP for Congleton with 18,875 votes and 38% vote share. She defeated Conservative Fiona Bruce, who secured 15,488 votes and 31% vote share.
Finally, Liberal Democrat Andrew George returned to the St Ives seat, having previously served the constituency from 1997 to 2015. Mr George was formerly chief executive of Cornwall Community Land Trust and has had a long career in rural affordable housing. He was elected with 25,033 votes and 52% vote share.
Have we missed anyone? Get in touch: james.riding@oceanmedia.co.uk
