The need for politicians who understand the built environment has never been greater

It must have been around 1995 when I joined the Labour Architecture Group. I was at the Royal College of Art school of architecture for my first attempt to achieve a PhD.

My tutor at the time was Dinah Casson and, after numerous conversations and encouragement from her, I set off to meet Richard Rogers – who I knew a little after years of journalism – in his amazing house in Chelsea.

The Labour Architecture Group – of which Rogers was I believe a founding member – had been set up in the expectation of an incoming Labour government being far more receptive to the world of design and architecture, which indeed it did turn out to be.

There was money and appreciation for arts and culture that seem lost in the recent years of austerity and hardship, and of cultural philistinism

There were numerous exciting initiatives, such as “architecture in schools”, lovely creative workshops for children from primary age, among other projects to broaden the understanding and appeal of architecture, both in their daily lives, and as a potential career. And with Rogers at his peak of influence and architecture as a positive agent of social change, we had an amazing champion.

It was a heady time. I remember some architect friends fantasising, after a reception for them at 10 Downing Street, about how they would remodel the offices, reception rooms and living quarters there. There was money and appreciation for arts and culture that seem lost in the recent years of austerity and hardship, and of cultural philistinism.

Fast forward to the run-up and current reality of the Labour government today, and it could not be more different. We have had 14 years of ministers who see architects as the ones drawing nice pictures (preferably in pastiche neo-Georgian style, gods help us) while the “real work” is done subsequently by design and build contractors, who so often water down concepts, twiddle design, cut corners and value engineer so they can make huge profits.

There have been precious few members of the House of Commons with built environment expertise over the years, or indeed architects in any kind of active politics

Have they passed this baton on to the current government, who are intent on building 1.5 million new homes, with scant understanding of why we are starting in the wrong place?

There have been precious few members of the House of Commons with built environment expertise over the years, or indeed architects in any kind of active politics. The time of Richard Rogers, with his ambitious plans and huge optimism for “a new London” among other proposals, has sadly passed, leaving a vacuum of knowledge and understanding in government.

In 2019 two architects, Jay Morton and Ike Ijei, ran unsuccessfully for parliament, while chartered planner Helen Hayes has prevailed since 2015 – but, interestingly, never appointed to a role where her expertise was especially relevant.

There were many depressing moments during my time in parliament from 2017-19, and one of those that still sticks in my throat was a meeting of the all-party parliamentary group for London, chaired and supported by august members of the profession and invited senior GLA members, who were devoting a meeting to the exciting developments and potential of building – quickly – for homeless and overcrowded families using cross-laminated timber off-site construction of whole units.

>> Also by Emma Dent Coad: Could do better: RIBA conference delivers verdict on Building Safety Act progress

This could have been something, if there had not just been an expose of the dodgy nature of *some* fire tests on CLT and funding/supply line concerns for new industrialised construction methods – and as we have seen, several companies going bust. I found the experience very unsettling. No one had read around the subject or had any idea of potential concerns.

In August 2022 I wrote on these pages about the need for built environment expertise in parliament. I said: “We are witnessing utter chaos in government. If there was ever a time for architects, planners and other professionals connected with the built environment – those with a commitment to social justice – to step into the fray of local and national politics, that time is now.

“The overdue and watered-down legislation on fire and building safety is emerging at a snail’s pace following the atrocity of Grenfell. And unfolding before our eyes is the entirely predictable disaster of Brexit.”

I added: “The entire building industry is in chaos, but the wrong people are in charge. Instead, we have in our national political leadership those whose expertise lies in making money and extracting it for their own benefit.

I am always surprised that private secretaries and ministers are not appointed to work in areas where they have expertise

“In the past five years we have had five secretaries of state for housing, communities and local government and now “levelling up”, housing and communities. We have had a banker, a corporate financier, a corporate lawyer, a journalist and a business strategist.”

There may be hope. Of the new intake, we have Scottish chartered surveyor Alison Taylor for Labour, Gideon Amos, an architect and town planner with experience of building affordable housing for the Lib Dems, and the architect Sarah Gibson, also for the LibDems. Will they be mobilised where they can use their knowledge and experience?

I am always surprised that private secretaries and ministers are not appointed to work in areas where they have expertise. Our new minister for building safety, no doubt intelligent and competent, has a background in human rights and education. Yet she will very quickly have to be briefed and to lead on the government’s response to one of the biggest scandals around the worst loss of life since the Second World War – the Grenfell Tower fire inquiry final r4eport.

The 600,000 people still living in unsafe buildings today will need to feel confidence that the minister knows what she is talking about. Will she? Their lives depend on it.