Status to deliver

We need a secretary of state for housing

The success or failure of the next Labour government will be determined by its performance on housing. Everyone in Britain is affected by the cost, quality and supply of housing, and developing new housing policy is under way through our manifesto process. But little attention has been given to how our housing programme will be delivered. Good policy is necessary but far from sufficient to achieve Labour’s political priorities in government.

Ed Miliband should therefore appoint a shadow secretary of state for housing and planning to deliver Labour’s housing programme and achieve visible results before the 2020 general election. The day after the general election the political clock starts ticking. Successful policy delivery depends on: clear policies that command strong political support from the prime minister, chancellor and cabinet; early priority in the new government’s legislative programme; and a team of bright, experienced ministers and civil servants to drive change through the system.

In 1997 housing was considered – wrongly, with the benefit of hindsight – a minor issue only of interest to council tenants, councillors, housing associations and homelessness charities. A minister of state for housing was sufficient to tackle rough sleeping and create the Decent Homes programme to improve council housing. Yet the position also saw frequent changes of portfolio-holder, which did not enhance ministers’ ability to hold officials to account, identify emerging issues or develop new policy.

A more effective approach would be to have separate departments for housing and local government, each headed up by a secretary of state. Many of the responsibilities falling under culture, media and sport, such as libraries, would fit better under local government, and media could be transferred to business. A new secretary of state for housing would then have a team of ministers, each with specific responsibilities including housebuilding, private rented housing, social housing and housing finance. Given the very specific characteristics of the London housing market, one of the ministerial team should be a London member of parliament.

Ministerial responsibility for the area of planning requires careful thought. Delivering new homes will be much harder without an integrated approach to creating new neighbourhoods, developing brownfield sites and expanding existing towns, so synergy between housing and planning policy and delivery is vital. A joint appointment covering both departments of housing and local government and a shared team of civil servants would be the best approach.

Successful public service reform depends on more than putting well-thought-through policy in place. Effective leadership and significant organisational capacity and support from the Treasury are critical. Tinkering around the edges will not solve Britain’s housing crisis. Labour needs ambitious but practical proposals for reform and the political and organisational leadership to deliver change nationally and locally. The public will not expect the next Labour government to have solved Britain’s housing problems by 2020, but they will want evidence that a Labour government has made a difference to the supply and affordability of housing in the country.

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