Emma Reynolds has been appointed as the new Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Reynolds was elected as the MP for Wycombe in the 2024 General Election and served as Economic Secretary to the Treasury from 14 January 2025 to 5 September 2025.
The cabinet reshuffle was sparked by Angela Rayner’s resignation as Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary after failing to pay enough tax on her flat in Hove.
Reynolds’ predecessor, Steve Reed, has replaced Rayner as the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Commenting on her appointment, Reynolds said: “Delighted to be appointed to the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Defra and look forward to building on the excellent work of Steve Reed – cleaning up our rivers, backing British farming and ensuring nature’s recovery.”
So far, the only other appointment in Defra has been Dame Angela Eagle DBE MP as Minister of State.
Eagle was elected as the MP for Wallasey in the 2024 General Election and was previously Minister for Border Security and Asylum at the Home Office from 8 July 2024 to 6 September 2025.
The new Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds was first elected as the MP for Wolverhampton North East at the 2010 General Election, before losing her seat in 2019.
Last month, reports suggested Defra’s workforce had been reduced by 10%, with 750 positions cut. The decision to cut the workforce is part of the UK Government’s money-saving measures aimed at reducing operating costs within the next five years.
As part of the UK Government’s 2025 Spending Review, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced an average 2.7% cut to Defra’s day-to-day budget per year.
Dan Cooke, Director of Policy, Communications, and External Affairs at the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), welcomed Reynolds to her new role as Secretary of State for Defra.
“Recognising the breadth of her departmental brief, this is an important period of opportunity for Defra, working alongside DESNZ (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) and others on the Government’s Plan for Change,” Cooke commented.
“Timely delivery of the new Circular Economy Strategy and associated sector roadmaps (including one for our sector), as well as the continued prioritised delivery of the current Resources and Waste Strategy 2018 objectives, will enable the resources and waste sector to maximise its contribution to jobs, skills, growth and UK resource efficiency over the next four years and beyond.”