Hilary Benn to retain farming brief

Mr Benn, Defra Secretary for almost three years until the Labour was ousted at the election, has been named as Shadow Defra Secretary in the party’s first shadow cabinet for 13 years.

He is one a number of former cabinet ministers to assume the brief he held in Government during the party’s initial days in opposition.

The Labour Party’s leadership race is due to be decided in September, after which the new leader will nominate their own shadow cabinet.

The leadership race sees former Defra Secretary David Miliband, the frontrunner, up against former cabinet colleagues, his brother Ed Miliband, Ed Balls and Andy Burnham, plus outsiders Diane Abbot and John McDonnell.

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