Defra Secretary to be named today

Nick Herbert, the Shadow Defra Secretary in the run up to the election, would have been a virtual certainty for the post under a Tory majority Government. He remains a strong contender.

However, the coalition Government Mr Cameron is putting together will include a number of prominent Liberal Democrat MPs. There have been suggestions this morning that Lib Dem MP Chris Huhne who has previously held the Shadow Defra post, could be in line to take over as Energy and Climate Secretary or even at Nobel House.

The Conservative’s Jim Paice, the Shadow Farming Minister for a number of years, is expected to be given the role of Farming Minister.

Other likely Lib Dem appointments include Nick Clegg as Deputy Prime Minister, while Vince Cable is in line for a junior Treasury job.

The resignation last night of Gordon Brown as Prime Minister and the installation of Mr Cameron as his successor brought to an end 13 years of Labour Government during which farmers have often felt at odds with Defra and its Ministers. 

The Conservatives have pledged to try and change the relationship between farmers and Government, promising to put the ‘F’ back into Defra’s title to reflect a renewed emphasis on the importance of productive farming.

Key Tory farming policies include pledges to implement a badger cull, introduce a supermarket ombudsman, cut back on the number of rural quangos, ease the burden of regulation on farmers and push for far-reaching reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.

The Lib Dems have also pledged to introduce a badger cull and a supermarket ombudsman, albeit one with powers to intervene on prices, but have indicated they would seek less radical reform of the CAP.

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