Truss Stays On

Following the Conservatives victory in the General Election David Cameron has announced his Ministerial team.  The main appointments with a relevance to farming and rural affairs are set out below.

• Liz Truss is to continue as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• Amber Rudd is the new Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
• George Eustice is to continue at DEFRA as Minister of State
• Rory Stewart joins DEFRA as Parliamentary Under Secretary
• Greg Clark becomes Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

In the DEFRA team there are a couple of familiar faces.  Since becoming DEFRA Minister in July 2014,Liz Truss has shown a ‘safe pair of hands’ whilst perhaps not really firing the imagination of the farming industry.  Mr Eustice managed to increase his majority in his Cambourne and Redruth seat from a paltry 66 to a healthy 7,000 in the election.  He gets a promotion, moving from the level of Parliamentary Under Secretary to Minister of State status.  Rory Stuart is the MP for Penrith and the Border in north Cumbria.  He has served in the army and has been a diplomat.  He is seen as somewhat of a rising star in the Conservative party.