High-flying Dominic Raab appointed housing minister i...

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09 January 2018

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By Graham Norwood

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High-flying Dominic Raab appointed housing minister in reshuffle

In a surprise announcement this lunchtime, Dominic Raab has been appointed as housing minister.

Raab, the 16th housing minister in the past 20 years, will work alongside Sajid Javid, the newly re-appointed Secretary of State.

Their department has been renamed the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Raab, 43, is highly regarded within the Conservative Party and has been an MP for seven years, having had an earlier career as a solicitor.

He had experience as a Parliamentary under-secretary of state and as a minister for human rights in the Ministry of Justice; following the election last summer he was minister of state for courts and justice.

He had been tipped for a Cabinet position this time around, although did not feature in yesterday’s reshuffle.

Given the new emphasis on housing in the re-named ministry, it remains to be seen how Raab’s portfolio dovetails with that of his immediate superior, Sajid Javid.

Outstanding housing policies which have been announced by the government but are still being implemented include the letting agency fees ban, substantial amounts of activity outlined in last February’s White Paper regarding house building, and a broad call for evidence to make the house buying process quicker and simpler.