It may be all change – again – at the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities if the government’s poor performance at two of this week’s three by-elections provoke a reshuffle.

Speculation suggests that a reshuffle could happen as soon as this weekend, or failing that any time up until September, to get a new line-up in place ahead of the Conservatives annual conference. This would be 15 months or so, at most, before a General Election.

Outgoing Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who has indicated he is leaving politics, has already made what he described as “my last appearance” at the House of Commons despatch box, suggesting an imminent Cabinet reshuffle.

Typically these have led to wider reshuffles throughout all tiers of government, including more junior roles such as housing minister.

The incumbent now – Rachel Maclean – took up the role in February this year and was the sixth MP to hold the role in 12 months. Immediately before her Lucy Frazer held the job of housing minister for 91 days and her predecessor, Lee Rowley, was in post for only 49 days. 

Maclean is the 15th housing minister since the Conservatives came to power in 2010 and the 23rd person to have the role since 1997. 

Meanwhile Charles Moore – a well-connected former editor of The Spectator and the Daily Telegraph, and a non-affiliated peer for the past three years – wrote in The Spectator this week that Housing Secretary Michael Gove may be moving closer to Labour.

Moore says Gove is “on a journey” and has been “praising equality and generally getting greener and redder.”

He writes: “If Sir Kier [Starmer, Labour leader] wins next year, Mr Gove might reasonably calculate that he could do the state more service by lending lustre to Labour (or taking a non-political role under it) than as a shadow spokesman of tired Tories.”

Gove has been an MP since 2005 and was appointed Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities by Rishi Sunak on October 25 last year; he had previously held the post under Boris Johnson’s premiership from September 2021 to July 2022, as well as a string of other senior government positions over the past decade or so.

His championing of the Renters Reform Bill – largely seen as pro-tenant and anti-landlord – have led to a number of criticisms by some Conservatives who oppose many of the specific measures proposed in the legislation.