Defra Secretary – Steve Reed
Steve Reed previously served as the Labour Party’s Shadow Minister for Defra when in opposition.
He was elected as the Labour MP for Croydon North in 2012 following a by-election which was triggered by the death of the incumbent Malcolm Wicks.
His majority at the 2024 general election was 15,603.
He has also been the Labour Party’s spokesperson for justice and communities and local government before then.
Before entering parliament, Mr Reed was the leader of Lambeth Council for more than six years. In 2013, he received an OBE from Her Majesty the Queen for services to local government.
In 2018, he became the first Labour MP in 22 years to pass a major new act of parliament, Seni’s Law, from opposition. Seni’s Law protects people with mental ill health from violent restraint and tackle deaths in custody.
Mr Reed’s first official meeting as Defra Secretary was with NFU President Tom Bradshaw. Following the meeting he said the government would “offer a new deal for farmers to boost rural economic growth and strengthen Britain’s food security”, adding that they are committed to supporting farmers and rural communities and look forward to working with the NFU.
He previously attended the NFU’s manifesto launch where he outlined Labour’s vision for farming and reiterated Labour’s plans to set up a COBRA-style, flood resilience taskforce that would meet every winter to assess the flood risk to communities in the aftermath of the devastation caused by Storm Babet.
During our Labour Party fringe event, Mr Reed sent a clear message that ‘food security is national security’, a sentiment repeated in the Labour manifesto.
Mr Reed has overall responsibility for Defra. He has specific responsibilities for:
- budget
- international relations
- senior appointments
- economic growth.
Read more on our work with Steve Reed:
Farming Minister – Daniel Zeichner
Daniel Zeichner has been the Labour MP for Cambridge since 2015, winning a majority of 11,078 at the 2024 general election.
Mr Zeichner has worked closely with the NFU since his appointment as Shadow Farming Minister in 2020.
He has spoken regularly about the importance of food security and argued throughout the passage of the 2020 Agriculture Act that food production is central as we seek to buy, make and sell more in Britain.
Since then, he has been clear to challenge the previous government’s record on delivering ELMs and is a keen supporter of the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill which we expect will be reinstated in the new parliament.
Mr Zeichner began his political career when he was elected councillor in Burston, Norfolk, in 1995, a position in which he served until 2003. After being elected to parliament he served in the Transport Committee from 2017 to 2019, the Science and Technology Committee in 2015 and the Petitions Committee from 2018 to 2019.
He was previously Shadow Minister for Transport between 2015 to 2017. Before entering politics he was an academic and worked as a computer programmer.
Mr Zeichner has specific responsibilities for:
- farming (including ELMS)
- food security
- science and innovation (including agri-science)
- rural
- fisheries
- farmed animal welfare including bovine TB
- trade
- budget (deputy to Secretary of State)
- lead for Rural Payments Agency
- lead for Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board
- lead for Marine Management Organisation
- lead for Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
- lead for Sea Fish Industry Authority.
Minister for Water and Flooding – Emma Hardy
Photograph: Willows Photos/Alamy
Emma Hardy is the Labour MP for Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice and has been since 2017, winning a majority of 8,979 at the 2024 general election.
Before entering parliament, she was a primary school teacher for over 10 years. She transitioned from teaching to become a full-time organiser for the National Union of Teachers, working her way up to Deputy General Secretary of the Socialist Educational Association.
Since joining the Shadow Defra team in 2023, Emma worked closely with the NFU visiting members’ farms that were severely affected by flooding earlier this year.
Following her appointment, she met with NFU President Tom Bradshaw and discussed their shared ambition to improve water quality and mitigate against the devastating impact of flooding.
Tom said the government must commit to compensate farmers for storing floodwater on their land, and commit to adequately fund the Environment Agency for both essential maintenance of flood defences and watercourses, as well as new capital projects. Tom said that the availability of water for the irrigation of crops must also be prioritised.
Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Ms Hardy said she was delighted at the appointment.
“I’m so excited to be at the beating heart of a Labour government ready to make changes to improve the lives of people right across the UK,” she said.
Ms Hardy has specific responsibilities for:
- floods and emergencies
- water
- clean air and noise
- environmental regulation (including chemicals, contaminated land and REACH)
- pesticides
- net zero, climate change and adaptation
- domestic and international marine
- lead for Environment Agency
- lead for Consumer Council for Water.
Lords Minister – Baroness Hayman
Photograph: Allstar/Alamy
Baroness Sue Hayman was made a Life Peer on 9 September 2020 after Sir Keir Starmer was elected leader of the Labour Party.
She was previously the MP for Workington from 2015-2019 and by doing so became the first female MP to represent a constituency in Cumbria, where she has a smallholding.
The NFU has enjoyed a good relationship with Baroness Hayman; she regularly meets NFU officeholders and attends NFU events.
Posting on X, Baroness Hayman said she was looking forward to working with the new team “to protect and enhance our environment, support our farmers and improve animal welfare”.
Baroness Hayman’s background is in public relations and consultancy and before entering parliament she represented Howgate division on Cumbria County Council later becoming vice-chair of the Children’s Scrutiny Committee.
While an MP she held a number of opposition positions including:
- Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2017 – 2019)
- Shadow Flooding and Coastal Communities Minister (2016 – 2017)
- Opposition Whip (2015 – 2016).
In the Lords:
- Shadow Spokesperson for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2020 – 2024)
- Opposition Whip (2020 – 2024)
- Shadow Spokesperson for Levelling Up, Housing, Communities and Local Government (2021 – 2023).
Baroness Hayman has specific responsibilities for:
- biosecurity and plant health
- borders
- Northern Ireland – Windsor Framework
- animal welfare
- access (including rights of way and coastal paths)
- lead for Veterinary Medicines Directorate
- lead for the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
Minister for Nature – Mary Creagh CBE
Photograph: Mark Thomas/Alamy
Mary Creagh is the Labour MP for Coventry East and has been since July 2024, winning a majority of 11,623 at the 2024 general election.
She was previously MP for Wakefield from 2005 – 2019 but was defeated by Conservative Candidate Imran Ahmad Khan.
While MP for Wakefield she was appointed assistant whip in 2009, when the Labour Party were still in government.
In 2016, Ms Creagh was appointed chair of the Environmental Audit Committee. She received her CBE in the 2021 Birthday Honours for parliamentary and political services.
She went on to hold numerus Shadow Ministerial roles from 2010 – 2019 which included:
- Shadow Health Minister (2010)
- Opposition Assistant Whip (2010)
- Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2010-2013)
- Shadow Secretary of State for Transport (2013- 2014)
- Shadow Secretary of State for International Development (2014-2015)
While Shadow Defra Secretary, Ms Creagh:
- Secured a House of Commons debate on the government’s plans to sell off 85% of public forestry. The government subsequently abandoned these plans.
- Criticised the government decision to cut flood defence spending in real terms by 32% in 2011.
- At the Labour Party’s Annual Conference in September 2011, she launched the campaign ‘Back the Apple’ with Unite the Union which opposed the government’s plan to abolish the Agricultural Wages Board.
Ms Creagh has specific responsibilities for:
- circular economy
- planning and land use framework
- domestic biodiversity
- tree planting and forestry
- international nature and wildlife
- environmental targets and EIP
- ODA Programme
- green finance
- National Landscapes, including National Parks
- lead for Office for Environmental Protection
- lead for Natural England
- lead for Forestry Commission
- lead for Joint Nature Conservation Committee
- lead for Kew.
