Rayner, who took over the shadow Housing Secretary role last autumn shadowing Michael Gove, will also hold the position of deputy prime minister. Hers is one of the first cabinet appointments made by incoming prime minister Keir Starmer, alongside Rachel Reeves as chancellor.
Rayner will oversee the new government's ambitious housing plans, including reforming the planning process, building 'a new generation of new towns, inspired by the proud legacy of the 1945 Labour government', and looking at ending no-fault evictions.
Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark commented on the appointment:
“Propertymark welcomes wide ranging engagement with the newly formed government regarding housing, over the coming months there are many challenges to address across the housing sector and we look forward to hearing more comprehensive detail on how manifesto promises will be delivered.
"Propertymark have already established a strong working relationship with Labour and across the coming months there will be an intensified focus on further building on this by working closely with the newly announced Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner.
"As Ms Rayner takes on responsibility for housing, our key aim is to help ensure members are robustly represented and any new legislation is dynamic and practical, in addition new policies must be delivered with integrity, precision and pace.
“It is essential housing plays a key priority moving forward, as we have witnessed many decades of housing demand drastically outstrip supply. Currently we have a situation that feels like it’s on a knifes edge, especially with a population that is predicted to grow to around 70m within the next ten years. There must be critical cross-party conversation that sets a clear strategy moving forwards, and for this to happen, we need broad stakeholder involvement, wide ranging infrastructure development and all involved must look to the better use of technology for both insight and ongoing delivery.”
If you're looking for more General Election 2024 coverage, see our articles here on the property market's response to the election results and how property experts see the outlook for landlords.
