Brandon Lewis has been appointed housing and planning minister in the latest government reshuffle.
The Conservative MP for Great Yarmouth was previously undersecretary of state in the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) with responsibility for local government. He replaces Kris Hopkins, who lasted just 10 months in the job. Lewis becomes the fourth housing minister in less than three years, after Hopkins, Mark Prisk and Grant Schapps.
Before joining the government, Lewis was an active member of several All Party Parliamentary Groups, including those for enterprise zones and local growth as well as local government. He also served on Brentwood Borough Council for more than 10 years, with 5 as Leader.
Brandon Lewis' voting record:
- Voted moderately for more EU integration
- Voted very strongly for making local councils responsible for helping those in financial need afford their council tax and reducing the amount spent on such support
- Voted strongly for reducing the rate of corporation tax
- Voted very strongly for reducing central government funding of local government
- Voted a mixture of for and against financial incentives for low carbon emission electricity generation methods