Only a few weeks after leaving a ministerial role at the department, Dame Angela Eagle has been appointed as Defra secretary in new prime minister Andy Burnham’s first cabinet.
She replaces Emma Reynolds who has been appointed as chief secretary to the Treasury, after just under a year in the Defra role.
Dame Angela, MP for Wallasey since 1992, was appointed at the same time as Ms Reynolds as a Defra minister in September 2025. She was replaced as minister of state for food security and rural affairs at the department by Stephen Morgan in June when she was appointed as security minister, serving in the Home Office and Cabinet Office – a role she only held for just over a month.
The resfuffle also sees Mr Morgan demoted from minister of state to a more junior ministerial role of parliamentary under-secretary of state within the department. Moving in the other direction, Emma Hardy has been promoted from to minister of state, having previously been a parliamentary under-secretary of state at Defra.
There is one new face. Suffolk MP Jenny Riddell-Carpenter has become a minister for the first time as parliamentary under-secretary of state at the department.
Mary Creagh leaves the department after serving as minister for nature since July 2024, while Baroness Hayman of Ullock remains as parliamentary under-secretary of state.
Mr Morgan, who recently met the NPA to discuss a pig industry support said he was ‘absolutely delighted’ to have been reappointed a Minister at Defra.
“I look forward to working with Angela Eagle and team to grow a green economy and sustain thriving rural and coastal communities by supporting our world-leading food, farming and fishing industries.”
Ministerial experience
Dame Angela has been on the Labour front bench since the last Labour government. Under Tony Blair, roles included parliamentary under-secretary of state for Environment, Transport and the Regions; for Social Security and for Home Affairs. She also served as Opposition Whip.
In Gordon Brown’s government she served as exchequer secretary to the Treasury and minister of state for Pensions and Ageing Society.
In Ed Miliband’s shadow cabinet, she served as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. In 2011, she became Shadow Leader of the House. In 2015, she was appointed as shadow secretary of state for Business, Innovation and Skills, a position she held until June 2016.