Rachel Maclean, MP for Redditch, has been appointed as a Minister of State at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities following a cabinet reshuffle on February 7, 2023. While Maclean’s responsibilities have not yet been confirmed, it is expected that she will be in charge of the housing and planning portfolio. Maclean has previously held junior ministerial positions at HM Treasury and the Department for Transport, and has been an MP since the 2017 general election.
Although Maclean has not been particularly vocal on housing issues in Parliament, in a debate on Levelling Up she stressed the importance of balancing the need for new homes with preserving the unique character of local environments. She has been active on skills-related issues and founded a charity that works with schools to help young people develop skills that businesses look for in their employees. Maclean’s appointment comes as the government creates four new departments to “deliver for the British people.”
