Who are the new ministers at Defra?

As the dust settles on the general election result, it’s clear that the new government is not looking to slow down anytime soon, with ministerial appointments made swiftly during the week that followed. The new Prime Minister has made it clear that he wants to set a steady agenda, with many from the shadow cabinet promoted into official roles.

Taking a closer look at the Defra team, Steve Reed takes the lead as the new Secretary of State. The CLA has been working closely with Mr Reed since he was appointed as Shadow Secretary of State last September and found him a collaborative and energetic politician.

His first speech in the role took place in the CLA tent at the Great Yorkshire Show, highlighting his priorities to improve water quality, encourage rural growth and boost food security. While acknowledging his constituency is located in south London, Mr Reed is keen to understand and work closely with rural communities.

In a very popular move, Daniel Zeichner has been made Farming Minister. During his last four years shadowing the brier, Mr Zeichner has engaged with many organisations across the sector and adopted a pragmatic and thoughtful approach to making decisions.

The Labour Party has committed to continuing the work of the Environment Land Management schemes (ELMs) and is currently reviewing how to make this a more accessible proposition for areas such as the uplands. The CLA has written to Daniel Zeichner, calling for the Labour Party to commit to a robust agricultural budget of £4bn in order to deliver for farmers, consumers, the public and the environment.

There is an appointment yet to be made amongst the junior ministerial ranks at Defra, as well as the full outline of the responsibilities. However, we do know that Baroness Hayman of Ullock, and Hull MP Emma Hardy have both been announced as Parliamentary Under Secretary of States. Some might recognise Baroness Hayman’s name, as she is the former MP for Workington (2015 – 2019) and previously held the position of Shadow Secretary of State between 2017-2019. Baroness Hayman is a passionate supporter of rural areas and is well known by the CLA North team.

While the full remit of Emma Hardy’s role at Defra is still unclear, she has held the position of Shadow Minister for Environment Quality and Resilience since 2023, with a particular focus on flooding and water. She cites the impact of the Hull flooding in 2007 and the damage caused to her community as her reason for standing to be an MP.

Looking over to the opposition benches, North East Cambridgeshire MP Steve Barclay has remained in position, becoming Shadow Secretary of State for Defra. Tim Farron MP, continues his role as Rural Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, a party which has seen a boom in rural seats at this election.

Working on behalf of members, the CLA will be engaging with the new Defra teams across the house of commons.