Liz Truss's new housing secretary has received money from a property lobbyist and her cabinet includes at least six landlords who each receive thousands of pounds in rent a year, analysis by openDemocracy has found.
Simon Clarke, who was appointed to lead the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on Tuesday evening, took £2,500 last year from Marc Pennick, the director of property lobbying firm Fifth Capital London Ltd.
Pennick also has links to Peter Bingle, the former head of PR group Bell Pottinger and founder of developer lobbyist Terrapin Communications.
