Best of the Spectator Coffee House Shots: Michael Gove interviews Steve Reed
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Sep 26, 2025 Steve Reed, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, shares insights on Labour's ambitious goal of building 1.5 million homes. He highlights the £5 billion funding package aimed at revitalizing local communities and emphasizes the importance of fair funding and devolving powers to local councils. Reed discusses tackling regional inequalities, investing to combat political despair, and the need for local leadership. He also critiques existing planning regulations while advocating for new town developments and environmental restoration efforts.
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Local Power Drives Renewal
- Steve Reed prioritises building 1.5 million homes and devolving power to communities to tackle the housing crisis.
- He argues local people know their places best and Whitehall must cede control to rebuild towns and pride.
Levelling Up Needs Whole-Government Buy-In
- Reed says levelling up's intent was right but it failed to deliver and must be made broader and cross-government.
- He sees aligning health, local delivery and investment as making the project bigger than past levelling up.
Regional Imbalance Harms The Whole Country
- Reed frames regional inequality as economically unsustainable and socially corrosive, comparing some regions to Eastern Europe.
- He argues rebalancing creates opportunities and eases pressures on London housing and jobs.