Christopher Pincher Appointed New Housing Minister

Christopher Pincher Appointed New Housing Minister

Boris Johnson’s Government has appointed Christopher Pincher to the position as Housing Minister.

Pincher is currently the MP for Tamworth, but is familiar with ministerial roles having worked as the Minister of State for Europe and the Americas.

Pincher has also undertaken the role of deputy chief whip before accepting the position of housing minister.

Mr Pincher now becomes the tenth housing minister in as many years.

Mary-Anne Bowring, Group Managing Director of Ringley, said:

“Christopher Pincher needs to bring with him a sense of real energy and commitment and Boris Johnson would do well to keep them on for the long-term. Without stability at the top, the government risks sleepwalking into multiple crises, as issues around fire safety and leasehold reform remain unresolved, while the continued squeeze on buy-to-let landlords threatens to make renting even more unaffordable for many.

“The Housing Minister is not only a custodian of the safety of the current housing stock, but must be brave enough to think what future living is going to be as the lines between work and life continue to blur. Homes must provide shelter, but happy homes make for better mental health and if trends continue and housing is to be inhabited rather than owned then the lines of work and life and fun must blur.”

Mark Hayward, Chief Executive, NAEA Propertymark and David Cox, Chief Executive, ARLA Propertymark, commented:

“We welcome Christopher Pincher as the new Housing Minister. Unfortunately, the lack of continuity in this post and the persistent changes means it’s near impossible for anyone in the role to make an impact. Fixing the broken housing market should be the priority, and there’s a number of consultations and policy that requires action – most importantly the Regulation of Property Agents. We look forward to working with the new Minister on these important changes to the industry.”

Kate Davies, executive director at the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association, said:

“From HS2 to the murmurings about a Boris Bridge, this administration is clearly thinking ‘big’ and taking a long-term view on major capital projects.

“This could bode well for some long-overdue and coherent long-term strategic thinking on housing policy – and we look forward to hearing the plans of the new Housing Minister, Christopher Pincher, and to encouraging him to bring some of that big thinking to the table.

“Addressing the challenges facing borrowers, whether they are first-time buyers or downsizers, requires a long-term strategy that provides housing across all property types and tenures.

“Now that the essential ‘in/out’ element of the Brexit debate is behind us, we would urge the government to make the most of its strong majority and ability to deliver on a wider range of promises and projects.”

Philip Kelvin, head of strategy at online mortgage broker, Trussle, said:

“The revolving door at Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government has always moved quickly but now appears to be on the cusp of spinning out of control, following the departure of Esther McVey as housing minister.

“Ms McVey was in the role for just seven months, and as a result the UK now has its 19th housing minister in just two years – a worrying statistic considering the crucial role this ministry plays.

“We wish Christopher Pincher well as the new housing minister.

“This is a pivotal role in the government that could really help establish meaningful support for first-time buyers, following the end of the Help To Buy ISA scheme at the end of last year.

“We really hope to see Mr. Pincher bringing much needed innovation to the sector.”

What impact is the insecure and uncertain tenure of each housing minister having on the property sector?

Martin Parrin

Martin is a Senior Content Writer for Today’s Conveyancer, Today’s Wills and Probate, Today’s Legal Cyber Risk and Today's Family Lawyer Having qualified as a teacher, Martin previously worked as a Secondary English Teacher that responsible for Head of Communications. After recently returning to the North West from Guernsey in the Channel Islands, Martin has left teaching to start a career in writing and pursue his lifelong passion with the written word.

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