Brexiteer Andrea Leadsom has been unveiled as the new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Ms Leadsom, who recently pulled out of the race for Prime Minister against Theresa May and previously served as Energy Secretary, replaces Liz Truss who moves to the position of Justice Secretary.
She will be responsible for shaping future agricultural and fisheries policies, as well as overseeing environmental regulations in areas such as water quality, flood prevention and wildlife habitats.
Ms Leadsom has been an MP for South Northamptonshire since 2010, and prior to that she worked in finance.
Since the Brexit referendum, farm leaders have been pushing government for clarity over future farm subsidy support and access to the single market.
In a Guardian debate before the referendum Ms Leadsom promised to “absolutely continue in the short-term to provide these subsidies” while the Government considered what made sense.
She then went on to suggest a system of environmental trading credits and said it would make sense if farmers “with big fields do the sheep and those with hill farms do the butterflies”.
Meanwhile, in a post on her personal blog from February 28, 2007, Ms Leadsom said: “subsidies must be abolished”.
Country Land and Business Association (CLA) president, Ross Murray, said reducing uncertainty in the wake of a vote for Brexit should be top of Ms Leadsom’s agenda.
He said: “We will be asking Andrea Leadsom to make swift commitments on five priority issues for the rural economy – ensuring direct payments up to 2020; honouring agri-environment agreements; establishing a new food, farming and environmental policy to succeed and better the Common Agricultural Policy; engaging in full and clear consultation with farmers; and honouring commitments under current EU structural fund programmes.”
NFU Scotland director of policy, Jonnie Hall, said: “The referendum result brings into sharp focus the interests that agriculture has always held in the EU in relation to trade, support and the movement of labour. With agriculture taking nearly 40% of the European budget and tariff-free trade providing important markets for Scottish produce, it is vital that the new Secretary of State for Defra hits the ground running and recognises the significance of the sector as we commence our withdrawal from the EU.
“With agriculture and the environment’s high stakes in the EU negotiation, NFU Scotland welcomes the appointment of Andrea Leadsom as Secretary of State and will communicate with her early on in her new role to emphasise the importance of her securing a settlement that recognises provenance and quality that benefits not just farmers and crofters in Scotland but the whole rural economy.”
