Defra Secretary – Dame Angela Eagle
Photograph: House of Commons/Roger Harris/CC BY 3.0
Dame Angela Eagle is the new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. She was appointed on 20 July 2026.
She is the Labour MP for Wallasey and was first elected in 1992.
Dame Angela has served in a variety of Ministerial positions during her career, including serving as Farming Minister between September 2025 and June 2026. Dame Angela has also served as a Minister in the Home Office and Cabinet Office.
During her time as Farming Minister, Dame Angela was well engaged with the NFU, attending visits including a visit to a soft fruit farm in Kent (her first visit as Farming Minister), as well as a dairy farm in Derbyshire which Dame Angela said was ‘invaluable’.
Dame Angela has previously spoken about the importance of a profitable agricultural industry, saying:
“Supporting farmers to run profitable businesses is vital for food security and growing the whole economy.”
Dame Angela has overall responsibility for Defra. She has specific responsibilities for:
- budget
- international relations
- senior appointments
- economic growth.
Read more on our work with Dame Angela:
Defra officials join NFU on stakeholder visit to Riverford Organic
NFU joins first partnership meeting between industry and government
NFU meets Defra to discuss impacts of global conflict on UK food supply chain
NFU hosts Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle on farm in Derbyshire
Productive farm visit with new Minister sets relationship off to good start
Photograph: Stephen Morgan ©House of Commons
Stephen Morgan has served as the Labour MP for Portsmouth South since 2017.
Over his career in Parliament, Morgan has served as a Junior Minister in the Department for Education. When the Labour Party was in opposition, Morgan previously served as the Shadow Minister for Schools, the Armed Forces and Defence Procurement and as Shadow Minister for Communities.
He has previously been a member of the Public Accounts Committee, and on the Committee scrutinising the 2021 Armed Forces Bill and the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Most recently, Stephen served as a Junior Government Whip.
He was appointed as a Minister of State in the Defra on 12 June 2026, replacing Dame Angela Eagle MP.
Specific responsibilities cover:
- 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.
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.
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.
