Michael Gove's two-year stint as Defra secretary of state has come to an end after he was moved to a new role focused on implementing Brexit.
Boris Johnson's first cabinet as Prime Minister sees Gove move to the position of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, where the prominent Brexiteer will play a more central role in the government's preparations to leave the EU.
Replacing Gove at Defra is Theresa Villiers, the 51-year-old MP for Chipping Barnet. Another Brexiteer, Villiers' most senior position was as secretary of state for Nothern Ireland from 2012-2016, while she has also been a minister for transport, and shadow chief secretary to the Treasury earlier in her career.
Villiers tends to toe the party line when it comes the most major issues, though she has rebelled in a number of recent votes around the timing of Brexit.
Last night Villiers wrote on Facebook: 'I feel very honoured to have been asked by the Prime Minister to return to the Cabinet, taking on the role of Secretary of State for the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
'I have championed a number of the issues covered by the department, including animal welfare and improving air quality. My new responsibilities will therefore complement many of my local campaigns in my constituency, such as protecting our green spaces. I am already hard at work preparing for Defra questions in Parliament tomorrow morning.'
No comments yet