Kruger joins government’s newly created ‘levelling up’ department

Danny Kruger, who carried out a government commissioned review into civil society last year, has been handed a government post in the newly named Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Kruger says he is “delighted” to be joining the department, which was formerly the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and is headed by Michael Gove.

His post is a junior, non ministerial parliamentary private secretary post within the department.

Delighted to be joining @michaelgove and the team at @luhcgovuk (levelling up, housing, communities) as Parliamentary Private Secretary (v junior non ministerial post)
— Danny Kruger (@danny__kruger) September 21, 2021

The department has been renamed to focus on the government’s 'levelling up' agenda “to deliver a programme of tangible improvements in every part of the UK”, it says.

“With a superb team of ministers and officials in a new department, our relentless focus will be on delivering for those overlooked families and undervalued communities across the United Kingdom,” added Gove.

Kruger’s appointment at the new department comes amid fears that the charity sector will miss out on much of the funding the government has earmarked for its ‘levelling up' agenda.

Earlier this year research by New Philanthropy Capital warned that charities are “unlikely to receive much levelling up funding” from the government and should brace themselves for having a limited say in how the money is to be spent.

The NCVO has warned that 'levelling up' needs collaboration with charities to succeed in supporting communities in disadvantaged areas.

Kruger’s review was called for by PM Boris Johnson to develop recommendations around the long-term future of the charity sector.

His review recommended greater local powers for charities through a Community Power Act and a volunteer passport system.

However, speaking at a Charity Times leadership conference last year, he conceded that his review has not “sufficiently addressed the needs” of large national charities.

Kruger is Conservative MP for Devizes and former political secretary to Boris Johnson. He is also the founder of two charities, Only Connect and West London Zone for Children and Young People.