Shake-up for shadow DEFRA team

Former environment minister Huw Irranca-Davies has returned to the shadow DEFRA team as part of a cabinet reshuffle.

Labour leader Ed Miliband moved Mr Irranca-Davies to a shadow food and farming brief as part of a series of ministerial changes.

The Member of Parliament for Ogmore, Mr Irranca-Davies was originally made part of former DEFRA minister Hilary Benn’s team in 2008.

The reshuffle also sees East Lothian MP Fiona O’Donnell move to shadow DEFRA minister Mary Creagh’s team for its autumn sitting.

The pair replace Willie Bain, who was shadow food and farming minister and Jamie Reed, whose brief covered waste water and green energy.

Mrs Creagh said the changes would help the team develop food and farming policy over the coming months, as well as focus on upcoming issues such as CAP reform and a decision on a badger cull.

“The reshuffle demonstrates that Labour is serious about being the party of the environment and countryside,” she added.

“Rising food prices, concerns about slippage in the timetable for the Groceries Code Adjudicator and the abolition of the AWB will all feature highly on our agenda for the months ahead.”

  The full Shadow DEFRA team: 

•         Mary Creagh MP, Shadow Environment Secretary
•         Huw Irranca-Davies MP, Shadow Food and farming Minister
•         Gavin Shuker MP, Shadow Waste and water Minister
•         Fiona O’Donnell MP, Shadow Environment and fisheries Minister
•         Lord Jim Knight, Lords Spokesperson
•         Lord John Grantchester, Lords Spokesperson