Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has announced that the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will drop ‘levelling up’ from its title, reverting to its former name.
Rayner criticises past gimmicks
During an all-staff meeting at the department’s headquarters on Marsham Street, London, Rayner criticised the Conservative’s levelling up agenda, calling it a gimmick. She stated, “A Government of public service means fixing the fundamentals, rebuilding the foundations, and getting the basics right to deliver for the British people. No more gimmicks, no more slogans, but the hard yards of governing in the national interest.”
Commitment to fundamental services
Rayner emphasised the importance of returning to core responsibilities, noting that the department’s work is essential to Labour’s mission-driven government. She said, “From fixing the foundation of an affordable home to handing power back to communities with skin in the game and rebuilding local government – this will be the department of service. We will go back to basics. No more government by gimmick. No more stunts and spin. Our department should do what it says on the tin.”
Rayner also announced the department’s name change, “I am delighted to announce that the department’s name will return to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.”
Addressing inequality and housing issues
Despite dropping the ‘levelling up’ term, Rayner acknowledged the UK’s ongoing inequality issues and Labour’s commitment to addressing them. She promised significant changes in the housing sector, “We will deliver change for young couples priced out of owning their own home, for leaseholders left at the mercy of eye-watering charges, and for those trapped in buildings still wrapped in dangerous cladding. We will deliver change for families facing eviction through no fault of their own, for renters living in damp, cold, and mouldy homes, and for people living on the streets with nowhere to call home.”
The department adopted the ‘levelling up’ name in September 2021 under Michael Gove, who described it as the ‘defining mission of the Government’ at that time.
By reverting to its former name, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Labour aims to focus on tangible actions and solutions rather than slogans. This shift highlights Labour’s strategy to prioritise substantial policy changes to address pressing housing issues across the UK.
