New Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government: CCN responds
Following the resignation of the Deputy Prime Minister from the government earlier today and a subsequent cabinet reshuffle, it has been announced that the Rt.Hon Steve Reed MP has been appointed as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government.
He is Member of Parliament for Streatham and Croydon North in London, and a former Leader of Lambeth Council between 2006 and 2012. He was also previously Shadow Housing, Communities & Local Government Secretary between 2020-2021.
Responding to the appointment, Cllr Tim Oliver, Chair of the County Councils Network, said:
Cllr Tim Oliver, CCN Chair said;
“The County Councils Network (CCN) would like to welcome the appointment of Rt Hon Steve Reed MP as the new Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government. CCN and its member councils look forward to continuing to work positively and collaboratively with his department, building on his previous experience as a council leader.
“The new Secretary of State inherits some of the biggest and most important policy agendas across Whitehall, with the fair funding review, planning and housing reforms, alongside devolution and local government reorganisation. These are seismic changes to the foundations of local government, and with CCN member councils most impacted by these reforms, it is vital the new ministerial team hit the ground running.
“CCN will continue to press the case for sustainable and fair funding through the government’s funding review, a proportionate approach to planning reforms and to deliver wider ranging reforms to special educational needs and social care services.
“Crucially, the new Secretary of State will now ultimately be responsible for taking final decisions on proposals for local government reorganisation. It is absolutely essential that the government scrutinise and rigorously evaluate all proposals against their own statutory criteria, including ensuring new councils are the right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks, whilst minimising the fragmentation of social care services.”
