New Housing Minister Following Cabinet Reshuffle
*UPDATE: Housing Minister Mix Up!*
Prime Minister David Cameron's cabinet reshuffle has seen Mark Francois, the MP for Rayleigh and Wickford who served as Minister of State for the Armed Forces under the coalition government, replace Brandon Lewis as Housing Minister.
Francois, who will be 50 this year, was born in Islington in 1965 and moved to Basildon in Essex in 1971 where he served on the council in the early 1990s and was vice-chair of the housing committee.
He studied history at Bristol University and War Studies at King's College, London and served as an infantry officer in the Territorial Army, including with the local Royal Anglian Regiment, in the 1980s.
Before becoming an MP, Francois worked in banking and as a self-employed consultant. In 1988 he joined lobbying company Market Access International,
leaving as a director in 1996 to set up his own lobbying firm Francois Associates.
Mark Francois MP
He lists his hobbies as reading, history, particularly military history and hill walking.
Since 2010, there have been five Conservative housing ministers: Grant Shapps, Mark Prisk, Kris Hopkins, Brandon Lewis and now Mark Francois so it looks as though he may have to work hard to gain the confidence of the industry regarding his intentions and possible longevity in the job.
*UPDATE: Housing Minister Mix Up!*
Written by Deb Roberts
Source Estates IT Ltd
