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Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

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Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
since 5 November 2024
AppointerLeader of the Opposition
WebsiteThe Shadow Cabinet

Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is a position with the UK Opposition's Shadow Cabinet that deals with issues surrounding the environment and food and rural affairs; if the opposition party is elected to government, the designated person is a likely choice to become the new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The position existed as Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment until 1997, when it was renamed Environment, Transport and the Regions to match the Government's reorganisation. It changed to its current name in 2001 for the same reason. Under Michael Howard, the arrangement was slightly different. There was a Shadow Environment Secretary outside Shadow Cabinet and (together with the Shadow Transport Secretary) under the direction of the Shadow Secretary of State for Environment and Transport.

Shadow Secretaries of State

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Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment

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Name Took office Left office Political party Shadow Cabinet
Anthony Crosland 19 June 1970 5 March 1974 Labour Wilson II
Margaret Thatcher 5 March 1974 18 February 1975 Conservative Heath II
Timothy Raison 18 February 1975 19 November 1976 Thatcher
Michael Heseltine 19 November 1976 4 May 1979
Peter Shore 4 May 1979 14 July 1979 Callaghan
Roy Hattersley 14 July 1979 8 December 1980
Gerald Kaufman 8 December 1980 31 October 1983 Foot
Jack Cunningham 31 October 1983 2 November 1989 Kinnock
Bryan Gould 2 November 1989 18 July 1992
Chris Smith 18 July 1992 20 October 1994 Smith
Beckett
Frank Dobson 20 October 1994 2 May 1997 Blair
John Gummer 2 May 1997 11 June 1997 Conservative Major

Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions

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Name Took office Left office Political party Shadow Cabinet
Norman Fowler 11 June 1997 1 June 1998 Conservative Hague
Gillian Shepherd[1] 1 June 1998 14 June 1999
John Redwood[2] 14 June 1999 2 February 2000
Archie Norman 2 February 2000 18 September 2001

Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

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Name Took office Left office Political party Shadow Cabinet
Peter Ainsworth 18 September 2001 23 July 2002 Conservative Duncan Smith
David Lidington 23 July 2002 10 November 2003

Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment

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Name Took office Left office Political party Shadow Cabinet
Caroline Spelman 10 November 2003 15 March 2004 Conservative Howard
Richard Ottaway 15 March 2004 10 May 2005

Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

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Name Took office Left office Political party Shadow Cabinet
Oliver Letwin 10 May 2005 6 December 2005 Conservative Howard
Peter Ainsworth 6 December 2005 19 January 2009 Cameron
Nick Herbert 19 January 2009 11 May 2010
Hilary Benn 11 May 2010 8 October 2010 Labour Harman I
Mary Creagh 8 October 2010 7 October 2013 Miliband
Maria Eagle 7 October 2013 14 September 2015
Harman II
Kerry McCarthy 14 September 2015 26 June 2016 Corbyn
Rachael Maskell 27 June 2016 1 February 2017
Sue Hayman 9 February 2017 12 December 2019
Luke Pollard

On Leave: 30 August 2021 - 5 October 2021

Acting Shadow Secretary: Daniel Zeichner

7 January 2020 29 November 2021
Starmer
Jim McMahon 29 November 2021 4 September 2023
Steve Reed 4 September 2023 5 July 2024
Steve Barclay 8 July 2024 5 November 2024 Conservative Sunak
Victoria Atkins 5 November 2024 Incumbent Badenoch

References

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  1. ^ "Hague reshuffles shadow cabinet". BBC News. 1 June 1998. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  2. ^ "Lilley sacked in Hague reshuffle". The Guardian. 15 June 1999. Retrieved 10 March 2013.