The government’s food strategy faced a serious challenge this week after Defra lost both of the key politicians at the helm.
Environment secretary Steve Reed was announced as the replacement for housing secretary Angela Rayner, whose resignation amid the stamp duty scandal sparked a crisis reshuffle by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Reed was replaced by MP for Wycombe Emma Reynolds, who after being elected in 2024 served as parliamentary secretary at the Treasury and the Department for Work & Pensions, and was appointed economic secretary to the Treasury earlier this year.
The shake-up also saw farming minister Daniel Zeichner, the man who had been charged with spearheading the food strategy, sacked and returned to the backbenches, replaced by veteran MP Angela Eagle.
Zeichner has borne the brunt of furious protests by farmers over the government’s change to Inheritance Tax, with the announcement of a £2.7bn injection to help farms move to more sustainable production failing to quell anger.
But while he has been a lightning rod for farmer fury, he was seen as the driving force of the food strategy announced by Reed last year, and had been widely praised by food bosses for his understanding of the sector’s challenges.
In July he announced a new outcome framework for the stretegy, drawn up following top-level conversations between industry leaders, ministers and NGOs on the strategy’s advisory board, including demands for the industry to make healthy food more affordable and step up action to tackle the obesity crisis.
The government also promised to do more to tackle food resilience and invest in the food sector, both domestically and through supporting exports.
However, The Grocer revealed that plans for the strategy to be backed by a white paper had been dropped from an original draft, after the intervention of the PM.
Zeichner’s exit
“Having worked closely with several food ministers over the years, Daniel Zeichner was heads and shoulders above any other incumbent,” said James Bielby, FWD CEO.
“He was totally on top of his brief, always listening to industry concerns, and a true friend to the wholesale sector, ensuring we are at the heart of Defra decision-making.
“Angela Eagle is a vastly experienced minister, having first served in 1997 under Tony Blair, so we are confident the work Daniel did to raise the importance of Defra within government will continue, and look forward to working with the new Defra team.”
However, another source added: “Daniel Zeichner was given a hospital pass by HMT on the family farm tax, without being consulted on the change, but the fact he maintained positive relations with the farming industry is a measure of the man, as a top bloke.”
Rod Addy, director general of the Provision Trade Federation, said: “Daniel Zeichner had a good understanding of the food supply chain, but his hands were often tied when it came to the bigger decisions.
“Steve Reed’s focus was taken up with reforming the water industry for much of his time in post and there was a general feeling that his ambitions lay outside Defra.
“PTF hopes that in Emma Reynolds and Angela Eagle the food industry will be served by a greater focus on its needs, many of which must be addressed urgently.
“For example, we and others are pushing for a swift conclusion to the UK-EU SPS agreement, which will help stop businesses of all sizes bleeding money every time they try to export goods to the EU and will greatly simplify associated procedures and strengthen food chain resilience. This, in turn, will feed into the government’s growth agenda.
“Given Reynolds’ previous support for EU-UK relations, we hope she will help expedite negotiations so that companies do not have to endure more than one more Christmas under the current system. Her Treasury background is commensurate with the government’s direction of travel on food, where so many policy decisions must be tied closely to budgetary considerations.”
Zeichner, who had promised to turn the “junk food cycle” identified by Henry Dimbleby into a “virtuous food circle” driven by growth, said he was “very sad to be leaving a job in government I have loved, working with brilliant people at Defra and so many great people keeping our country fed: the farmers, the fishermen, everyone in the food supply chain and in rural areas.”
Responding to Reynolds’ appointment, NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: “I would like to congratulate Emma on her appointment as Defra secretary of state. I look forward to working closely with her in the months ahead and hope she uses the role to champion farming, ensure its high production standards are valued and invest in its future with policies that back British farming and deliver for food security.
“I would also like to thank Steve Reed for his time in post. Despite not always agreeing, we developed a strong working relationship and his door was always open to the NFU. He recognised the planning system needed significant change to enable investment in the farm infrastructure of the future.”
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