Ms Coffey was appointed to the role in October 2022 as part of Rishi Sunak’s reshuffle at the time. She was recycling minister at Defra between 2016 and 2019, first appointed under Andrea Leadsom and kept on by Michael Gove.
She has been replaced by Steve Barclay (see letsrecycle.com story).
During her time, the department has published the Environment Improvement plan and unveiled ‘Simpler Recycling’.
In a letter to the Prime Minister Ms Coffey said: “It has been a privilege to serve in your cabinet. …. As you know, Defra touches so much of our lives. Just in the last year, I was pleased to publish your Environmental Improvement Plan, launch our plan for water and help to secure the biodviersity framework in Montreal. I have strengthened the foundations of Defra to deliver here in the UK and globally, such that this government has achieved more than any other to protect our planet.
“I look forward to supporting you from the backbenches and working together for a Conservative majority at the next election. Which I believe to be profoundly in the national interest”.
I have written to the Prime Minister today to step down from government. It has been a privilege to serve him and indeed 5 Conservative Prime Ministers as a minister. I look forward to continuing to serve my constituents of Suffolk Coastal https://t.co/Vas2YDoYh2 pic.twitter.com/gvEtKrB77B
— Thérèse Coffey (@theresecoffey) November 13, 2023
PM
The Prime Minister in a letter thanked Ms Coffey for her work at Defra.
He said: “As Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs you have worked hard to deliver for our rural communities. The Farm to Fork summit, which I was delighted that we could host together in Downing Street, did a great job of promoting the wonderful food and drink produced by our farmers.
“You have driven work across Government to support the rural economy and taken measures to protect food production here at home. You have been a consistent champion of better rural broadband.
“Our international leadership on nature is a source of pride to us as a country and you have taken that forward. Your support for a moratorium on deep sea mining is a powerful example of UK leadership in this field.
“During the pandemic, your leadership of the Department for Work and Pensions ensured that the welfare system kept working and supported people at a time of exceptional stress. I am pleased that our work together on Kickstart helped young people to get skills and jobs following
the pandemic.”
Ms Coffey’s replacement will be the fourth since 2020.
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