Rooker stands down as farming minister

Rumours that food and farming minister Jeff Rooker is to stand down have finally been confirmed.

Lord Rooker had been widely expected to leave his post as junior DEFRA minister during the Prime Minister’s cabinet reshuffle on Friday (3 October).

But while it was announced he would be leaving his role as speaker for the House of Lords, DEFRA was unable to confirm whether he had left his position.

This morning (6 October) however, other parliamentary sources revealed former financial secretary Jane Kennedy would replace Lord Rooker.

Justice under-secretary Lord Hunt will join Ms Kennedy as minister of state, while Huw Irranca-Davies has been made DEFRA under-secretary.

While the reshuffle was confirmed elsewhere, confusion at DEFRA over Lord Rooker’s position remained.

A DEFRA spokeswoman was unable to tell Farmers Weekly whether he had left the post and said she was “waiting to see whether he turned up” at DEFRA’s office in London.