Michael Gove warns the housing crisis is one of the UK’s biggest challenges in leaked recording hours before resignation
TORY big beast Michael Gove says the failure to tackle the housing crisis is one of the biggest challenges facing Britain.
The political heavyweight made the warning hours before his bombshell resignation on Friday night.
He told Levelling Up department officials that housing and planning will be the toughest issues they face in the next parliament.
He said “there is more that we need to do” to build new homes.
He added: “But it is going to be a big issue because there are a tangle of factors that make delivering housing a challenge and also, some of the biggest levers are outside this department, they’re in the hands of the treasury, the Bank of England, and international markets.
“So I think it will be the housing and planning team here who will be I think asked to do the most and show the…ambition – but they’ll be asked to show the greatest level of ambition – whoever wins the election.”
Major reforms to the sector have often hit the buffers due to mutiny by Tory MPs.
Early in his leadership, PM Rishi Sunak had to drop compulsory housebuilding targets to see off a backbench rebellion.
Mr Gove became the latest big name in a mass exodus of Tory MPs stepping down this election.
He cited the “toll” of public office after a political career spanning nearly 20 years. His announcement was followed by one from Brexiteer Dame Andrea Leadsom, who said she was leaving after “careful reflection”.
A post-war record of 78 Tories have announced they’re off, surpassing the 72 who quit before Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide.
More are anticipated after the PM announced a July 4 election.
Minister Bim Afolami told Times Radio on Saturday: “It’s not unnatural if you’ve got people who served for 20, sometimes 30 or 35 years in Parliament.”