New and Returning Northern MPs 2017

After a tumultuous General Election last week, the UK woke up on Friday 9th June 2017 to a hung parliament. While deals are struck and coalitions are formed, the election’s new MPs are being sworn in. The NHC presents below, a full list of the Northern region’s new and returning MPs, including a primer on the newly appointed Housing Minister, Alok Sharma.

Download all the information in pdf form here.

Alok Sharma MP Reading West Constituency, Minister of StateNew Housing Minister

Alok Sharma MP
Reading West Constituency, Minister of State

alok.sharma.mp@parliament.uk
01189 413 803

How Alok Sharma voted on Housing 

Generally voted in line with the government on housing related matters.

  • Voted in favour of the bedroom tax
  • Consistently voted for a reduction in welfare spending
  • Consistently voted for phasing out secure tenancies for life
  • Almost always voted for charging a market rent to high earners renting a council home
  • Consistently voted against restrictions on fees charged to tenants by letting agents

In 2010, he said on housing: “I think what is completely wrong about the current housing system is that we have these ‘top down’ targets being imposed on local communities.

“What we want to do, if we come into power, is to take those away.

“If local people get a chance to decide, I think you will find they will act very responsibly, they will actually act in the best interests of their community.”

In a Localism Bill in 2011, he spoke up for community voices in housing and planning developments, saying previous systems “seeked to drown out their voices rather than to amplify them.”

He added: “Despite the clear wishes of local communities and local councils, the local view is that developers eventually ram through inappropriate developments on appeal.

“Local communities recognise the need for more housing, but they want new houses to be built in a manner that is sustainable, that provides the infrastructure to support local residents and, above all, that gives them a real say in how their communities look and feel.”

He has opposed a number of housing developments in his constituency.

Previously a member of the Science and Technology Select Committee, and a member of the Treasury Select Committee. Appointed in September 2011 as a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Mark Hoban MP, during Hoban’s time as Financial Secretary to the Treasury. Sharma is Conservative vice-chairman for BME communities and Co-Chairman of Conservative Friends of India.