Steve Reed has been appointed Secretary of State for Housing in Keir Starmer’s reshuffle following the resignation of Angela Rayner.

Following his appointment, the MP for Streatham and North Croydon, who was previously Environment Secretary,  promised to “build, baby, build”.

“It’s a huge honour to be appointed Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government by Keir Starmer. Together, we will get Britain building and create a future where everyone has access to affordable, safe homes and thriving communities,” he said in statement.

Born and raised in St Albans, Steve Reed has been a Labour MP since 2012. Previously, he served as Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from September 2023 to July 2024, as well as roles in Housing, Communities and Local Government (2020 to 2021) in for Justice (2021 to 2023). Prior to his election to Parliament, he was Leader of Lambeth London Borough Council from 2006 to 2012.

Angela Rayner resigned as Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing last week after an independent ethics advisor found she broke the ministerial code.

The ruling followed Rayner’s admission that she had underpaid stamp duty on an £800,000 flat in Hove. In her resignation letter to the Prime Minister, she accepted that she “did not meet the highest standards” and took “full responsibility for this error”.

Caption: Housing Secretary Steve Reed. Photo by Lauren Hurley.