The new shadow housing secretary has started with a blistering attack on the department she one day hopes to run.
In an article on the Conservative Home website, Katie Lam gives a withering analysis of the government’s policies enacted by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Four quotes from the article give an idea of Lam’s uncompromising approach:
“Few other departments are as guilty of making life harder for people who are just trying to do the right thing, while turning a blind eye to the most flagrant misconduct elsewhere.”
“Thanks to this Government’s Renters’ Rights Act, rents are rising, and landlords are busily offloading their properties – meaning fewer options for those looking for somewhere to live. At the same time, Labour have totally failed to tackle the problems in our planning system, and their tax hikes and red tape are just resulting in fewer new houses being built.”
“The department is a soft touch when it comes to rule-breakers. A small minority of travellers are breaking the rules and being allowed to set up new caravan sites, without permission, causing massive disruption to the people living nearby.”
“Some of the most expensive property in the country is being used as taxpayer-subsidised social housing, often for people who have come here from abroad.”
Lam – appointed to the shadow cabinet on Monday – replaces Sir James Cleverly, the experienced former Cabinet minister who is now to contest the London Mayoral election in 2027.
While studying at Cambridge University she was elected president of the Union and ran the university’s Conservative association.
Her website describes her career before becoming an MP like this: “Katie spent the rest of her career in the private sector.
“She was Chief of Staff at AI company Faculty, one of the UK’s fastest growing tech businesses, and before that spent the bulk of her career at Goldman Sachs, first in equity research, and later leading teams running various projects, analysis and operations internally.”
During her short period since being elected as MP for the Weald of Kent in 2024 she has made controversial comments about immigration, and once being described by party leader Kemi Badenoch as having spoken ‘imprecisely’ about Tory policy on the subject.
You can read Lam’s entire Conservative Home piece here
