Prime minister Liz Truss has reshuffled her cabinet, appointing former chief whip Mark Spencer as Defra Minister of State, alongside other positions within the sector.
Spencer, who is MP for Sherwood, will be taking on the new role in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs, replacing former minister Victoria Prentis.
Moving on from his previous position as chief whip, which he held since 2019, Spencer tweeted: “Delighted to be joining the Defra team. Looking forward to supporting food production and the environment and our rural communities.”
The department will also be joined by MP for North East Hampshire, Ranil Jayawardena, who will be replacing George Eustice as Defra secretary while also acting as deputy chairman of the Conservative Party.
Referring to his new Defra role, Jayawardena said on Twitter yesterday: “From food security and backing British farmers, to water security and growing our rural economy, I know that there is much to do. It is so important to recognise where our food comes from.”
Previously, Jayawardena served as minister for international trade, a department which has seen the appointment of Kemi Badenoch as international trade secretary under Truss’ reshuffle.
Badenoch, who ran against Liz Truss in the leadership campaign previously held positions including a minister in the UK’s leveling-up department, an equalities minister and a junior minister in the Treasury.
On Tuesday, Badenoch tweeted: “Delighted to start my new job. Looking forward to unleashing Global Britain’s full potential so we can create more jobs, more growth and more opportunity across the UK.”
Another appointment likely to influence the sector amid the cost-of-living crisis is Jacob Rees-Mogg, who has been named secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy.
Responsible for the government’s response to the energy crisis, he has replaced Kwasi Kwarteng who has taken on the role of Chancellor.
Speaking of his plans as business secretary, Rees-Mogg said on Twitter: “My overriding mission is to deliver affordable and plentiful energy to the British people and to make the economy efficient, innovative and dynamic as possible. This will be the department for growth.”
