Rishi Sunak to appoint sixteenth Housing Minister since 2010 as young people struggle to get on housing ladder

Rishi Sunak is set to appoint the sixteenth Housing Minister for the Conservative party since 2010 in today's reshuffle. This comes as young people continue to face difficulties in getting onto the housing ladder.

Cabinet Minister expresses frustration at sacking

Kemi Badenoch, a Cabinet Minister, expressed her disappointment at the sacking, saying she was "very sorry" to see Rachel Maclean leave. Badenoch praised Maclean's work and her ability to navigate challenging legislation.

Backlash from across the political divide

The Prime Minister faced criticism from both sides of the political spectrum as the housing issue once again saw a change in personnel. Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove retweeted Badenoch's message, adding to the widespread anger across the government.

A revolving door of Housing Ministers

The government has seen a revolving door of Housing Ministers, with Rachel Maclean being the eighth person to hold the position in the past four years. This constant turnover has been met with criticism, particularly from younger voters who are struggling with high rents and the inability to enter the property market.

The government's housing targets

In their 2019 election manifesto, the government set a target of building 300,000 homes per year by the mid-2020s. However, Rishi Sunak has recently abandoned these central housing targets, claiming that it would provide more flexibility to local councils.

Labour's housing plans

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has ramped up the pressure on the government by promising to build 1.5 million homes within five years of an election victory. In his conference speech, Starmer pledged to "bulldoze through" the planning system that is preventing people from buying a house.