Andy Burnham has taken up his position as prime minister and appointed his cabinet. Angela Rayner returns as housing secretary, Matthew Pennycook remains in post as minister of state for housing and planning, and John Healey replaces Rachel Reeves as chancellor.
Property experts have welcomed the appointments and thrown their support behind the new cabinet team.
On new prime minister Andy Burnham, Propertymark CEO Nathan Emerson said:
“Propertymark welcomes Andy Burnham to Downing Street, and we look forward to learning more about proposals aimed at addressing current housing concerns. There are many complex challenges that remain regarding the delivery of a sustainable mix of affordable housing across each region.
“Over the coming months, it will be essential that the sector has a clear opportunity to engage with the UK government on key housing issues, helping to ensure that the manifesto commitment to deliver 1.5 million homes across England becomes a reality.
“Looking at the bigger picture, a diverse housing mix must be delivered with a regional focus and supported by robust local infrastructure. Building homes is the challenge; building well-designed, functional communities must be the goal.”
RICS looks forward to working constructively with the new PM and his government. CEO Justin Young said:
“The new prime minister takes office at a critical time for the built and natural environment. Increasing the supply of quality affordable homes, strengthening infrastructure, and supporting the transition to a lower-carbon economy will require stable, long-term and evidence-led policymaking.
“A clear opportunity to make a practical difference to people’s lives is to improve the way homes are bought and sold. Purchasing a home should be straightforward, but transactions take too long and far too many fall through with an average transaction period of 120 days and one in three falling through reported in June. Buyers and sellers often face unnecessary costs, uncertainty and stress.
“RICS will assist the prime minister to maintain the momentum behind the government’s recently announced home buying and selling reforms and make their effective implementation an early priority.”
On Angela Rayner’s return, OPDA chair Maria Harris said:
“Angela Rayner’s return to the housing brief should be welcomed across the sector. She has a strong understanding of the challenges facing the housing market, a genuine passion for housing policy, and had already begun building constructive relationships with industry stakeholders before leaving the role. That existing knowledge and engagement should allow her to hit the ground running.
“With a second chance at the role she was clearly committed too, and with firsthand experience of how complex property transactions can be, Angela Rayner has the opportunity to bring compassion and a personal touch. With the recent MHCLG roadmap announcement, she can build on the foundations already laid and help deliver reforms that will benefit consumers, businesses, and the wider economy.”
Propertymark’s Emerson also welcomed Rayner’s return:
“Propertymark looks forward to working with Angela Rayner as she returns to her former role as housing secretary. Housing must remain at the centre of the political agenda to deliver much-needed progress.
“With an already demanding programme of new legislation to implement across the sector, alongside the significant challenge of delivering the key manifesto pledge to build 1.5 million new homes across England, the urgency of meeting future housing demand has never been greater.
“Further priorities should include the ongoing reform of the home buying and selling process, as well as making long-overdue progression towards a comprehensive regulatory framework for property agents.”
Mark Chick, ALEP director and senior partner at Bishop & Sewell LLP, welcomed Rayner’s commitment to leasehold reform:
“Having held the role until relatively recently, she returns with a known and visible commitment to leasehold reform, having given evidence before the select committee on the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill and having been in post at the bill’s inception.
“The return of Angela Rayner should mean a degree of consistency and less reading-in time on leasehold issues. While we await the broader policy objectives of the new cabinet, this does seem to mean ‘business as usual’ as regards leasehold reform.”
Chick also praised the continuity of retaining Matthew Pennycook as housing minister:
“At a time when leasehold reform has reached a critical stage, continuity is key.
“Mr Pennycook has demonstrated a detailed understanding of the complexities of leasehold law and the need to balance the legitimate interests of all those affected. Just as importantly, he is committed to getting reform right rather than pursuing speed at the expense of workable legislation.
“Retaining a minister who understands that work should help preserve momentum and reduce the risk of unworkable or rushed legislation.
“ALEP looks forward to continuing its constructive engagement with government, particularly given the current consultations on key aspects of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.”
On the appointment of John Healey as chancellor, Hilesh Chavda, partner at Spencer West LLP, said:
“There has been understandable client anxiety in recent years around cumulative tax changes and fiscal drag. While John Healey’s appointment as chancellor came as a surprise to many, there is genuine optimism given his previous Treasury experience and his established working relationship with the prime minister. What individuals, family businesses, and investors need right now is fiscal stability and predictable policy – rather than relying on taxation as the primary lever for every objective.
“Expectations are high, and all eyes will certainly be on the autumn budget to see how this approach takes shape.”
Nathan Emerson concluded:
“Over the coming months, there will be sizeable challenges across the wider economy to overcome. Although the year started with quiet confidence in the housing market, there have been sizeable difficulties to contend with in terms of global unease.
“While we have seen inflation progressively start to approach its target and base rates hold steady, there is a much wider picture for John Healey to consider, as he takes on the role of chancellor of the exchequer.
“Housing remains fundamental to economic growth, with issues such as stamp duty for those buying a property in England or Northern Ireland, as well as taxation frameworks affecting many landlords in the private rented sector, all in need of review and potential restructuring.”
One Response
Nolan’s epic film The Odyssey reminds us that hubris is not just pride but a kind of blindness, the moment when confidence in one’s own ideas obscures the consequences that follow.
That thought surfaced yesterday as Andy Burnham took office and parts of the property sector reacted with renewed certainty about their preferred reform narratives. It is a familiar pattern of policy presented as momentum, and complexity treated as an inconvenience.
We have been here before. The Building Safety Act 2022 was rushed through, yet the views of conveyancers working at the coalface, who raised clear, practical objections, were ignored. The result was a framework whose unintended effects still ripple strongly through transactions today, a reminder that performative policymaking rarely survives contact with reality.
As a new administration begins, one hopes for a quieter discipline. Reform that listens, that respects the grain of the law, and that recognises that certainty is not the same as understanding.
Hubris may be timeless, but we are not required to repeat it.