Yvette Cooper has been appointed as secretary of state for housing and planning. Cooper’s promotion, at 36, from the position of junior housing minister follows 39 year-old David Miliband’s move to minister for communities and local government and gives the office of the deputy prime minister two of Labour’s rising stars. The presence of two up-and-coming talents in the department has been welcomed by many in the housing industry as a sign of the government’s commitment to housing. Jim Coulter, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said: “Reversing the country’s affordable housing crisis will be an immediate priority for the new team. The fact that the ODPM has appointed two ministers widely seen as rising stars shows that the new government recognises the scale of this challenge.” (Guardian)