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Housing minister moved on after 91 days in role
Housing minister Lucy Frazer has been given a new brief as part of prime minister Rishi Sunak’s cabinet reshuffle today, after just over 90 days in the role.
Ms Frazer became the government’s 14th housing minister in 12 years when she replaced Lee Rowley in November 2022.
Her replacement will be the sixth holder of the role within 12 months. The British Property Federation described the change as "hugely frustrating".
Mr Rowley had only been in the role since 7 September as part of Liz Truss’ ill-fated cabinet.
His predecessor Marcus Jones spent just 63 days in the role after taking up the reins from Stuart Andrew, who took the brief in February last year but quit during the rebellion against Boris Johnson.
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Mr Andrew replaced Chris Pincher, who had been housing minister since 2020 – making him the longest-serving minister since Brandon Lewis, who left the role in 2016.
Meanwhile, Ms Frazer, who is MP for South East Cambridgeshire, has been promoted as the new secretary for culture, media and sport.
Ms Frazer previously served as transport minister from 7 September until 26 October, when she joined the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Prior to that, she served as financial secretary to the Treasury from 16 September 2021 to 7 September 2022.
Ms Frazer served as justice minister from 25 July 2019 to 2 March 2021 and for six days in September 2021.
A replacement for Ms Frazer is yet to be announced, but the new minister will report to Michael Gove, who was reappointed housing secretary at the end of October.
Melanie Leech CBE, chief executive of the British Property Federation, said: “We had begun a very constructive dialogue with Lucy Frazer and it’s hugely frustrating to see the rapid departure of yet another housing minister in the middle of both significant policy changes and uncertain market conditions. Above all, we need clarity and stability from government to help unlock the new homes the country so vitally needs.”
Other housing sector figures have previously criticised the frequency with which the housing minister is reshuffled.
“Housing is a long-term structural issue that needs long-term, structural solutions and to deliver that you would hope that we would have housing ministers in place for longer,” said Paul Hackett, then-chair of the G15 group of housing associations in 2018.
Since he made that comment, there have been seven housing ministers.
