Kemi Badenoch has become Shadow Housing Secretary while former estate agent Kevin Hollinrake has been given the role of Shadow Business Secretary.
The move was announced yesterday as part of Rishi Sunak’s new shadow cabinet.
Hunters founder Hollinrake was re-elected as the MP for Thirst and Malton in North Yorkshire and welcomed his new role.
Kevin HollinrakeA former junior minister at the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) since 2023, Hollinrake also served in the old Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy from 2022, until the merger of the two.
He says: “As a former businessman of 30 years experience, I’m very pleased to be appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade.
“I will always seek to serve in the national interest by providing robust, constructive challenge to the government, particularly in terms of their support for SMEs, redress to postmasters and trade deals.”
LEVELLING UP
Badenoch’s new post came after a Labour announced that the phrase ‘levelling up’ will no longer be used in job titles and departments.
“The department I lead will be the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government,” Angela Raynor announced on Twitter.
Housing and communities minister, Jim McMahon, told BBC Breakfast that this was a “a reshaping of the department”.
Both Rayner and Starmer have met with the UK’s regional mayors today, with the new Labour PM confirming that the government will set up a “council for regions and nations” so that ministers can meet frequently with devolved administrations.
