Steve Reed has been confirmed as the new Defra secretary in Sir Keir Starmer’s first Cabinet, following Labour’s crushing election victory.
As expected, Sir Keir filled most of his Cabinet roles with the people who had shadowed them in the run up to the election.
Mr Reed, MP for Croydon North, had been appointed as shadow Defra secretary in September 2023, having moved over from the role of shadow justice secretary. He held the role of shadow communities and local government secretary from 2020 to 2021 and, prior to his election to parliament, he was leader of Lambeth London Borough Council from 2006 to 2012.
Sir Keir will apppoint the rest of his ministerial team over the next few days, with the expectation being that Daniel Zeichner, shadow farming minister in the run-up to the election, will take on the role in government.