George Eustice has been appointed as Defra Secretary, replacing Theresa Villiers.
Eustice has been a minister since 2015 and has played a big part in developing Defra’s post-Brexit agricultural policy.
The Cornish MP returned to Defra in July after quitting his Ministerial role at the Department a few months earlier in protest at the Government’s Brexit policy. In his resignation letter in February, he said he feared Prime Minister Theresa May’s offer of votes on delaying Brexit could lead to the ‘final humiliation of our country’.
The NFU congratulated Eustice. “We look forward to continuing to work with you to support British farmers and their businesses, achieve net zero by 2040 and produce healthy, safe and affordable food,” it said.