MP for Wrexham will become ninth person to hold the position in eight years

Ian Lucas, MP for Wrexham, has been named as the new construction minister.

He replaces Ian Pearson, who held the post for less than nine months.

Kevin Brennan is the new minister for further education, skills, apprenticeships and consumer affairs.

Who's the new boy?

Lucas is bit of a newcomer in government circles, having only been assistant whip since October 2008. Construction is not one of his avowed interests, although as MP for Wrexham he did meet bosses at JCB in January after they sacked 58 workers in his constituency. He has a distinctly green streak, having asked several questions in parliament about low-carbon buildings and requested that all buildings in the Olympic Park be self-sufficient in energy use. Photovoltaics are a particular interest – maybe because Sharp’s PV plant in Wrexham employs 600 of his constituents. Although he was relatively unscathed by the expenses scandal, Lucas claimed £1,388 to furnish his London flat. He said: “I regard a bed as an essential item.”

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