Emma Reynolds takes the helm at Defra amid cabinet shuffle

Emma Reynolds has been named the new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), following a Cabinet reshuffle triggered by Angela Rayner’s resignation. Rayner stepped down as Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary on 5 September after an ethics inquiry found she had underpaid stamp duty on her £800,000 home in Hove.

The move prompted Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to reorganise his team, shifting Steve Reed to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and appointing Reynolds to Defra.

Reynolds, who was elected MP for Wycombe in July 2024, has rapidly advanced through government roles. She served as Parliamentary Secretary at the Treasury and the Department for Work and Pensions from July 2024 to January 2025, before becoming Economic Secretary to the Treasury earlier this year.

The farming community welcomed the appointment. NFU President Tom Bradshaw congratulated Reynolds and encouraged her to place agriculture at the centre of government policy. “I look forward to working with her and hope she champions farming, protects high production standards, and invests in the sector to support food security,” he said.

Bradshaw also acknowledged Reed’s work, praising his openness to discussion and recognition of the need for planning reforms to support modern farm infrastructure. “Steve Reed was approachable, and despite occasional disagreements, we built a strong working relationship. I’m confident he will continue to support rural growth and farming communities in his new role,” Bradshaw added.

Reynolds steps into Defra at a challenging time for farmers and rural areas, with extreme weather and climate pressures impacting production. Environmental groups have highlighted the urgent issues facing the sector. Alasdair Johnstone of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit warned that consecutive years of extreme weather have placed UK farming under severe strain. “Following a wet winter and a record-breaking hot, dry summer, farmers are facing one of the toughest harvests in recent memory. This threatens food security and is contributing to rising supermarket prices,” he said.

The new Secretary of State now faces the task of supporting British agriculture through these unprecedented pressures while ensuring sustainable land management and strong production standards remain a priority.

Shadow Defra Secretary Victoria Atkins stated that Ms Reynolds' top priority should be convincing Chancellor Rachel Reeves to scrap the planned Inheritance Tax changes before they come into effect in April 2026.