Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Last updated

United Kingdom
Secretary of State
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Coat of arms of the United Kingdom (2022, lesser arms).svg
Steve Reed Official Cabinet Portrait, July 2024 (crop 2).jpg
Incumbent
Steve Reed
since 5 July 2024
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Style Environment Secretary
(informal)
The Right Honourable
(within the UK and Commonwealth)
Type Minister of the Crown
Status Secretary of State
Member of
Reports to The Prime Minister
Seat Westminster
NominatorThe Prime Minister
Appointer The Monarch
(on the advice of the Prime Minister)
Term length At His Majesty's pleasure
Formation
  • 15 October 1970:
    (as Secretary of State for the Environment)
  • 8 June 2001:
    (as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
First holder Peter Walker
(as Secretary of State for the Environment)
Salary£159,038 per annum (2022) [1]
(including £86,584 MP salary) [2]
Website ww2.defra.gov.uk

The secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, also referred to as the environment secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom.

Contents

The office holder works alongside the other Defra ministers. The corresponding shadow minister is the shadow secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs.

Responsibilities

The secretary of state has two main responsibilities at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to:

List of environment secretaries

Secretaries of state for the environment (1970–1997)

Secretary of State [3] Term of officePartyMinistry
No image.svg Peter Walker
MP for Worcester
15 October
1970
5 November
1972
Conservative Heath
Geoffrey Rippon (1970).jpg Geoffrey Rippon
MP for Hexham
5 November
1972
4 March
1974
Conservative
Charles-Anthony-Raven-Crosland (cropped).jpg Anthony Crosland
MP for Great Grimsby
5 March
1974
8 April
1976
Labour Wilson
(III & IV)
No image.svg Peter Shore
MP for Stepney and Poplar
8 April
1976
4 May
1979
Labour Callaghan
Lord Heseltine (6969083278).jpg Michael Heseltine
MP for Henley
5 May
1979
6 January
1983
Conservative Thatcher I
Official portrait of Lord King of Bridgwater crop 2.jpg Tom King
MP for Bridgwater
6 January
1983
11 June
1983
Conservative
No image.svg Patrick Jenkin
MP for Wanstead and Woodford
11 June
1983
2 September
1985
Conservative Thatcher II
Official portrait of Lord Baker of Dorking 2020 crop 2.jpg Kenneth Baker
MP for Mole Valley
2 September
1985
21 May
1986
Conservative
No image.svg Nicholas Ridley
MP for Cirencester and Tewkesbury
21 May
1986
24 July
1989
Conservative
Thatcher III
Official portrait of Lord Patten of Barnes crop 2.jpg Chris Patten
MP for Bath
24 July
1989
28 November
1990
Conservative
Lord Heseltine (6969083278).jpg Michael Heseltine
MP for Henley
28 November
1990
11 April
1992
Conservative Major I
Official portrait of Lord Howard of Lympne crop 2, 2023.jpg Michael Howard
MP for Folkestone and Hythe
11 April
1992
27 May
1993
Conservative Major II
Official portrait of Lord Deben crop 2.jpg John Gummer
MP for Suffolk Coastal
27 May
1993
2 May
1997
Conservative

Secretaries of state for the environment, transport and the regions (1997–2001)

John Prescott on his last day as Deputy Prime Minister, June 2007.jpg John Prescott [4]
MP for Kingston upon Hull East
2 May
1997
8 June
2001
Labour Blair I

Secretaries of state for environment, food and rural affairs (2001–present)

Official portrait of Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP crop 2.jpg Margaret Beckett [5]
MP for Derby South
8 June
2001
5 May
2006
Labour Blair II
Blair III
David Miliband 2.jpg David Miliband [6]
MP for South Shields
5 May
2006
28 June
2007
Labour
Official portrait of Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP crop 2.jpg Hilary Benn [7]
MP for Leeds Central
28 June
2007
11 May
2010
Labour Brown
Official portrait of Dame Caroline Spelman crop 2.jpg Caroline Spelman [8]
MP for Meriden
12 May
2010
4 September
2012
Conservative Cameron–Clegg
( Con.L.D. )
Official portrait of Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP crop 2.jpg Owen Paterson [9]
MP for North Shropshire
4 September
2012
14 July
2014
Conservative
Official portrait of Elizabeth Truss crop 2.jpg Liz Truss [10]
MP for South West Norfolk
15 July
2014
14 July
2016
Conservative
 
Cameron II
 
Official portrait of Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP crop 2.jpg Andrea Leadsom [11]
MP for South Northamptonshire
14 July
2016
11 June
2017
Conservative May I
Official portrait of Rt Hon Michael Gove MP crop 2.jpg Michael Gove [12]
MP for Surrey Heath
11 June
2017
24 July
2019
Conservative May II
Theresa Villiers Official Portrait.jpg Theresa Villiers [13]
MP for Chipping Barnet
24 July
2019
13 February
2020
Conservative Johnson I
Johnson II
Official portrait of George Eustice MP crop 2.jpg George Eustice
MP for Camborne and Redruth
13 February
2020
6 September 2022 Conservative
Ranil Jayawardena official portrait (cropped).jpg Ranil Jayawardena
MP for North East Hampshire
6 September 202225 October 2022 Conservative Truss
Therese Coffey Official Cabinet Portrait, September 2022 (cropped).jpg Thérèse Coffey
MP for Suffolk Coastal
25 October 202213 November 2023 Conservative Sunak
Steve Barclay Official Cabinet Portrait, November 2023 (cropped).jpg Steve Barclay
MP for North East Cambridgeshire
13 November 20235 July 2024 Conservative
Official portrait of Mr Steve Reed crop 2.jpg Steve Reed
MP for Streatham and Croydon North
5 July 2024Incumbent Labour Starmer

Timeline of environment secretaries

Steve Reed (politician)Steve BarclayThérèse CoffeyRanil JayawardenaGeorge EusticeTheresa VilliersMichael GoveAndrea LeadsomLiz TrussOwen PatersonCaroline SpelmanHilary BennDavid MilibandMargaret BeckettJohn PrescottJohn GummerMichael HowardChris PattenNicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of LiddesdaleKenneth Baker, Baron Baker of DorkingPatrick JenkinTom King, Baron King of BridgwaterMichael HeseltinePeter ShoreAnthony CroslandGeoffrey RipponPeter Walker, Baron Walker of WorcesterSecretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs


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