Following a cabinet reshuffle, Thérèse Coffey has been appointed to the position of Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Coffey was appointed to the position yesterday (Tuesday, October 25) following the resignation of her predecessor, Ranil Jayawardena.
Jayawardena wrote to new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yesterday to announce his resignation.
“I know that you wish for a new team to join you in HM Government, so I write to stand aside,” he wrote to Sunak.
Jayawardena served as Environment Secretary from September 6, 2022, up until his resignation.
Thérèse Coffey
Coffey was previously Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and Deputy Prime Minister, between September 6, 2022, and October 25, 2022.
She was Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions between September 8, 2019, and 6 September 6, 2022.
She was Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) between July 25, 2019, and September 8, 2019.
Coffey worked for the international company Mars and when she qualified as a chartered management accountant, she became finance director for a UK subsidiary of Mars. She has also worked at the BBC.
Coffey’s responsibilities as the new Environment Secretary will be as follows:
- Water quality and security;
- Food production and security;
- Economic growth;
- International relations;
- Senior appointments.
