Defra Secretary – Emma Reynolds
Photograph: Miranda Parry
Emma Reynolds is the new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. She is the Labour MP for Wycombe, elected in 2024, after previously serving as MP for Wolverhampton North East from 2010 until she lost her seat in 2019.
Since January 2025, she has been a minister in HM Treasury, serving as Economic Secretary to the Treasury, the minister with responsibility for financial services.
She attended and spoke at the NFU's tenth annual Back British Farming Day MP reception on 10 September, her second meeting with NFU President Tom Bradshaw within her first week in her role as Defra Secretary.
Speaking at the reception she said she grew up in rural Staffordshire and that there are 79 farms in her constituency of Wycombe, many of which she has visited and seen, first-hand, the challenges farmers face.
Writing on X after the reception, the new Defra Secretary said: “Living in the countryside, I see the challenges our farmers face and the incredible opportunities ahead.
“Farming isn't just about food production – it's central to our mission to kickstart economic growth.”
Ms Reynolds has overall responsibility for Defra. She has specific responsibilities for:
- budget
- international relations
- senior appointments
- economic growth.
Read more on our work with Emma Reynolds:
Farming Minister – Dame Angela Eagle
Photograph: House of Commons/Roger Harris/CC BY 3.0
Dame Angela Eagle has served as the Labour MP for Wallasey since 1992.
Over her career, she has held ministerial roles under multiple Labour governments. Under Tony Blair, she served in the Environment, Transport and the Regions, Social Security, and Home Office departments. In Gordon Brown’s government, she was Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and Minister of State for Pensions and the Ageing Society.
She has also served on the Treasury Select Committee and the Intelligence and Security Committee, and held internal Labour Party roles such as Chair of the Equalities Committee.
Most recently, she was Minister of State for Border Security and Asylum at the Home Office (2024–2025), and in September 2025 was appointed Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Dame Angela 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.
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.
