If there had been an award on offer for “most publicity hungry minister”, Grant Shapps – now the Conservative Party chairman – would have been a strong contender when housing minister at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). During his time at Eland House, Shapps never passed up an opportunity to bid for media coverage, regularly enlisting celebrities to appear in DCLG press notices.
Since Shapps’ promotion in September 2012, DCLG announcements just haven’t had the same flair. And now there is new evidence that the post-Shapps DCLG lacks the X Factor. One of Shapps’ most bling-encrusted announcements – the £1 million Future High Street X-Fund – has been given a makeover, the Planning Blog has learned. In an announcement this weekend, the DCLG referred to the fund using a far less glitzy moniker – the High Streets Renewal Fund. A DCLG spokeswoman confirmed that the fund’s name had been changed, but did not offer an explanation for the rebranding.