Esther McVey replaces Kit Malthouse as Housing Minister

The former television presenter is the ninth Housing Minister in 9 years.

Esther McVey replaces Kit Malthouse as Housing Minister

Esther McVey has been appointed as Housing Minister replacing the outgoing Kit Malthouse.

McVey will report to Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick, who was appointed as housing secretary last night following the departure of James Brokenshire.

She had been vying for the Tory leadership before being knocked out of the race.

The former television presenter served as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from January 2018 to November 2018. However she has been out of the cabinet of late.

On the housing front McVey was a staunch defender of the Bedroom Tax when it was launched back in April 2013.

She will now be tasked with dealing with a number of key issues affecting the sector and the ongoing response to the Grenfell fire.

Jeremy Leaf, north London estate agent and a former RICS residential chairman, said: "The personalities are not important.

"What we want to see is a continuation of the policies which their predecessors started - in other words, improving transactions, numbers, regulation, supply of affordable housing and improving planning processes.

“While they may not have much background or experience on the property side of things, the new housing minister is very high profile and hopefully keen to make as big a name for herself in the housing sector as she has elsewhere.

“The best news of all is that they have seats in the cabinet, although McVey won’t be a full member, which hopefully shows the importance the new Prime Minister attaches to the housing crisis."

McVey is the ninth housing minister in just 9 years.