Cabinet reshuffle: New Defra secretary Steve Barclay pledges to back British farming

New Secretary of State at Defra Steve Barclay has pledged to 'back British farming' as he begins his new role following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's reshuffle yesterday.

Mr Barclay's appointment follows the resignation of Therese Coffey who announced she would be ‘stepping back from Government'.

The MP for North East Cambridge said: "I am delighted to be leading the Defra team and to be backing British farmers and fishing. 

"I am excited to be championing rural communities, supporting our excellent food producers and continuing to drive our Plan for Water which is delivering more investment, stronger regulation and tougher enforcement. 

"This Government remains committed to leaving our environment in a better state than we found and halting and reversing the decline of nature - preserving our vital natural heritage for the benefit of future generations.

"The work of the department is also vital for the economic health of the nation, including protecting our communities from the impact of climate change. I look forward to driving innovations in green technology and supporting UK prosperity." 

Alongside Mr Barclay will be Keighley MP Robbie Moore who replaces as Trudy Harrison as Parliamentary Under Secretary. A member of the Efra Committee, Mr Moore hails from a farm business background having worked as a rural surveyor. His appointment will further boost farming's presence in the department alongside farmer and Minister of State Mark Spencer.

Mr Barclay will be inheriting a department that has been increasingly under fire, facing complaints over uncertain farming policy, water pollution and weather. Ms Coffey was ridiculed recently after an admission the Environment Agency was ill prepared for ‘rain from the east' which has seen thousands of acres of crops destroyed in storms Babet and Ciaran.

Welcoming Mr Barclay, Country Land and Business Association (CLA) president Victoria Vyvyan said: "We look forward to working closely together at such a crucial time for farming and the rural economy." But she warned it was vital 'Mr Barclay hits the ground running', adding: "Environmental Land Management schemes are being rolled out, BPS is being cut, rural communities are being hit hard by the cost of living crisis, and persistently low economic productivity is hampering our businesses and workers."

While the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA  said: "BCVA looks forward to working with the new Defra secretary to effectively support UK British agriculture, prioritising the highest health and welfare standards our profession works so hard to achieve with our clients on farm."

Thanks

Following her resignation, Mr Sunak thanked Ms Coffey for her friendship and for all her hard work in both Defra and the Health department.

In her resignation letter, the Suffolk Coastal MP said it had been 'a privilege' to serve in Defra, 'delivering for the people, planet and prosperity' .

She paid tribute to the office saying it was the 'guardian of nature, food security and our countryside communities'. She then went on to list her achievements with the department bolsting sustainablility in 'food and farming and championing the countryside'.

The reshuffle, which is being seen as Mr Sunak's last throw of the dice before the General Election, came after Ms Braverman was blamed for fuelling ‘hate' around protests demanding an Israeli/Hamas ceasefire at the weekend.

She was replaced as Home Secreatry by James Cleverly, whose former department - the Foreign Office - is now in the hands of former PM David Cameron who was made a life peer by HRH King Charles just hours before Mr Cameron's return to frontline politics was revealed.