New year. New construction minister. Same old problem

[This article first appeared in Construction News, 27 January 2021. Please support journalism - buy or subscribe to an industry publication]

The new year might have only just got going, but already the construction industry has a new minister. Kwasi Kwarteng was promoted to business secretary and with it Anne-Marie Trevelyan became our third construction minister in the space of just 19 working days.

Yes, you read that right, nineteen working days. Even for the role of construction minister – Trevelyan will be our ninth in the past five years – that is some going. I’ve had Christmas chocolates that lasted longer.

"Since the turn of the century we’ve had as many construction ministers as there have been years"

Kwarteng’s elevation to loftier heights also means he’s the newest holder of the (unofficial) title of ‘Shortest Stint as Construction Minister in History’, smashing the previous record by an impressive two months. One could be forgiven for concluding that the government doesn’t afford the construction industry the ministerial attention it deserves.

I should add that I mean government generally. It’s an unfortunate piece of 21st century trivia that the role of construction minister has been notoriously short-lived whomever has been in power. Since the turn of the century we’ve had as many construction ministers as there have been years, and in that period all three of the UK’s major political parties have – in some way or other – been in charge.

So why is the construction-minister role seemingly treated with such disdain?

High visibility in photo ops only

If not a party political issue, then perhaps it’s a victim of political ambition. Construction minister, after all, is not one of the great offices of state. It’s effectively a junior role where the construction brief is cobbled together with many other portfolios, including energy, green finance and clean heat, to name a few.

Sadly, "FU to construction" is a far more likely euphemistic, or at least inadvertent, message to the industry, than a passage of literary fiction narrating a cabinet promotion.

Shocking as it may be to the readers of Construction News, but construction just isn’t, well, very sexy – at least not in political circles. No wannabe politicians ever dreamt of being Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth. I certainly don’t recall FU – that is, Francis Urquhart, the ruthless protagonist from Michael Dobbs’ political thriller House of Cards – making a beeline for this gig during his rise to power. Sadly, "FU to construction" is a far more likely euphemistic, or at least inadvertent, message to the industry than a passage of literary fiction narrating a cabinet promotion.

It’s a shame that the role has essentially become a stopgap. The industry deserves better. Much better. Politicians are, when it suits them, among the first to don a hard hat and a hi-vis vest when a photo op presents itself or where there’s a shiny ribbon to be cut.

Nineteen days falling to 15 minutes

Construction is incredibly important to the economy, contributing hundreds of billions to GDP and accounting for millions of jobs. The industry touches and concerns everyone and everything, every day: the housing you live in, the roads you drive and the railways you ride (essential journeys only, please), and the schools and hospitals we depend upon, now more than ever. The industry is key to the government delivering on its manifesto promises, whether that’s 40 new hospitals or the broader promise to boost infrastructure and level up the economy, not to mention the more recent commitment to ‘build back better’ to drag the economy into recovery from its coronavirus-induced slump.

It’s also a highly complex, multifaceted and hugely fragmented industry that comes with many challenges, from technology to skill shortages; from safety to productivity. It’s an industry that needs a real commitment to long-term planning and investment and, to succeed in an ever-demanding economic environment, a symbiotic, collaborative and trusting relationship between the public and private sector.

It desperately needs stability and continuity at a policymaking level. If the government is serious about construction, it should treat the role of construction minister more seriously.

In one of his more lucid moments, Andy Warhol once quipped that “in the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes”. Anne-Marie Trevelyan may not reach the dizzying heights of political fame achieved by the fictional Francis Urquhart, but if the construction brief isn’t able to garner greater respect and credibility within government, it might soon be the case that every MP gets to be construction minister for 15 minutes.

This article first appeared in Construction News, 27 January 2021