New Construction Minister Announced

Andrew Stephenson MP has been announced as the new construction minister.

The MP for Pendle in Lancashire has been given the brief after his predecessor Richard Harrington resigned last week, citing the threat of a no-deal Brexit.

Stephenson, who was first elected as Conservative MP for Pendle in May 2010, has previously been a Government whip, Lord commissioner of HM Treasury, from January 2018 to April 2019 and Assistant Government Whip from June 2017 to January 2018.

As the new Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Business and Industry, he will also be responsible for Industrial Strategy delivery, sector deals, aerospace and the rail supply chain.

Harrington’s resignation follows an open letter to Theresa May, of which CECA was a co-signatory, which highlighted the threat of a no-deal Brexit to the construction industry, and a warned that such an outcome could lead to a 4% fall in construction output this year and a further 2% drop next year. The letter was also signed by the Association for Consultancy and Engineering, the Federation of Master Builders, the Construction Products Association and Build UK.