Government appoints Greg Clark to new role of Minister for Decentralisation

The government has appointed Greg Clark to the position of Minister of State for Decentralisation, a new role within the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Clark, the 42-year old Conservative MP for Tunbridge Wells, was shadow energy and climate change secretary before the election, a Cabinet post which was given to Liberal Democrat Chris Huhne.

Before being elected to Parliament in 2005, Clark spent four years as head of policy for the Tory party. During this time, he wrote the Total Politics paper, which was critical of the claimed over-centralisation of power by the previous Labour government.

"It’s all encompassing and about the transfer of power from central government to the people. I’m very excited about it,” he told the Kent on Sunday newspaper. "It is a huge agenda and something I’ve long had an interest in. I wrote a book, Total Politics, which was all about decentralisation and it’s good to have a chance to put it into practise. I think there is far too much power held by the centre and we need to get it back to communities, local people and local councils."

Other key local government-facing ministerial positions have also gone to Conservative MPs. Grant Shapps has been appointed Housing Minister and Nick Gibb is Minister for Schools, although it is expected that he will be joined at the re-named Department for Education by the Liberal Democrats spokesperson for Education and Skills, Sarah Teather.

The Secretary of State for Transport is Philip Hammond while Theresa Villiers becomes the Minister of State for Transport. Meanwhile, the most recent Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Caroline Spelman, has been named as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.