The new housing secretary, Michael Gove, faces a mountain of competing priorities as he gets down to work in the department previously known as the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The former chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster – and twice rival to Boris Johnson for leadership of the Tory party – will be in charge of both housing and local government, as his predecessor, Robert Jenrick was.

But unlike Jenrick, Gove will also take charge of the government’s manifesto-leading “levelling up” agenda – probably Boris Johnson’s signature policy – as well as retaining responsibility for defending the Union from the threat of Scottish independence, and overseeing elections.

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