Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

The secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities, also referred to as the levelling up secretary,[1] is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for the overall leadership and strategic direction of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.[2] The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom, seventh in the ministerial ranking, behind the secretary of state for defence.[3]

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Royal Arms of Her Majesty's Government
Incumbent
Michael Gove
since 15 September 2021
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
StyleLevelling Up Secretary
(informal)
The Right Honourable
(within the UK and the Commonwealth)
StatusSecretary of state
Minister of the Crown
Reports toPrime Minister of the United Kingdom
AppointerThe Monarch
on advice of the Prime Minister
Formation6 May 2006
First holderDavid Miliband
Websitewww.communities.gov.uk

The office holder works alongside the other ministers in the Department. The corresponding shadow minister is the shadow secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities.

The incumbent is Michael Gove, following his appointment by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in September 2021.

History

This department was created in 2006 by then British prime minister Tony Blair to replace John Prescott's Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, which had taken on the local government and regions portfolios from the defunct Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions in 2002.[4]

The secretary of state took over the responsibilities of the minister of state for communities and local government. This post, within the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, was created in 2005, on the transfer of several functions from the deputy prime minister himself.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson renamed the position Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and gave the Secretary and the Department responsibility for carrying out the promise in the 2019 Conservative Party manifesto of "levelling up".[5]

Responsibilities

As well as general responsibilities within the department's remit, the secretary of state has the power to determine "called in" planning applications and "recovered" appeals in England.[6]

List of secretaries of state and ministers
Minister of State for Communities and Local Government
Portrait Name Term of office Party Ministry Ref.
David Miliband
MP for South Shields		 5 May
2005		 5 May
2006		 Labour Blair III [7]
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Portrait Name Term of office Party Ministry Ref.
Ruth Kelly
MP for Bolton West		 6 May
2006		 28 June
2007		 Labour Blair III [8]
Hazel Blears
MP for Salford		 28 June
2007		 5 June
2009		 Labour Brown [9]
John Denham
MP for Southampton Itchen		 5 June
2009		 11 May
2010		 Labour [10]
Eric Pickles
MP for Brentwood and Ongar		 12 May
2010		 11 May
2015		 Conservative Cameron–Clegg
(Con.–L.D.)		 [11]
Greg Clark
MP for Tunbridge Wells		 11 May
2015		 14 July
2016		 Conservative Cameron II [12]
Sajid Javid
MP for Bromsgrove		 14 July
2016		 8 January
2018		 Conservative May I [13]
May II
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Portrait Name Term of office Party Ministry Ref.
Sajid Javid
MP for Bromsgrove		 8 January
2018		 30 April
2018		 Conservative May II [13]
James Brokenshire
MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup		 30 April
2018		 24 July
2019		 Conservative [14]
Robert Jenrick
MP for Newark		 24 July
2019		 15 September
2021		 Conservative Johnson I [15]
Conservative Johnson II
Michael Gove
MP for Surrey Heath		 15 September
2021		 18 September
2021		 [16]
Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Portrait Name Term of office Party Ministry Ref.
Michael Gove
MP for Surrey Heath		 18 September
2021		 Incumbent Conservative Johnson II [5]

References
  1. Stewart, Heather; Mason, Rowena; Elgot, Jessica (6 October 2021). "Michael Gove to push homebuilding in the north of England". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  2. "Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government". gov.uk. Retrieved 30 June 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. "Her Majesty's Government: The Cabinet". parliament.uk. Retrieved 30 June 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. Knight, Sam (5 May 2006). "Prescott loses his dream home: the mega department". The Times. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  5. Cordon, Gavin (18 September 2021). "Michael Gove heads rebranded 'Department for Levelling Up'". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  6. House of Commons Library https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN00930
  7. "Rt Hon David Miliband". UK Parliament. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  8. "Ruth Kelly". UK Parliament. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  9. "Rt Hon Hazel Blears". UK Parliament. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  10. "Rt Hon John Denham". UK Parliament. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  11. "Rt Hon Sir Eric Pickles". UK Parliament. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  12. "Rt Hon Greg Clark MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  13. "Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  14. "Sajid Javid announced as new Home Secretary after Amber Rudd's resignation". Sky News. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  15. "Robert Jenrick replaces James Brokenshire as housing secretary". Inside Housing. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  16. "Michael Gove replaces Robert Jenrick as housing secretary". Inside Housing. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
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