Simon Clarke has resigned as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities after the appointment of Rishi Sunak as prime minister.

Clarke was a close ally of former PM Liz Truss. His time in the role was fairly limited, with his only real act of substance being the launch of the first legal action against a freeholder for a lack of building safety remediation.

In a statement on Twitter, Clarke said: “It has been a great privilege to serve as Secretary of State for DLUHC, working alongside some terrific people to level up our communities, just as it was before that as Chief Secretary of HM Treasury.

“It has only been while holding these positions that I’ve come to appreciate the full weight of responsibility that ministers bear, and we are deeply fortunate to be supported in this by our civil servants and special advisers (and never forget them on days like today).”

Rumours are circulating that Sunak could bring back Michael Gove as housing secretary.