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Liz Truss appointed Environment Minister

By Annie Kane | 15 July 2014 | Add a Comment

Elizabeth (Liz) Truss, former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Education and Member of Parliament (MP) for South West Norfolk, has been appointed as the new Environment Minister today (15 July), as part of Prime Minister David Cameron’s cabinet reshuffle.

Tweeting this morning, Cameron confirmed: ‘Liz Truss is the new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’.

Truss said: “I am delighted to be appointed as Environment Secretary. I look forward to tackling the important issues facing our rural communities including championing British food, protecting people from flooding and improving the environment.

“I have greatly enjoyed my role at the Department for Education and would like to thank the excellent team there for all their hard work. I look forward to working with the team at Defra.”

Liz Truss background

Having studied philosophy, politics and economics at Merton College, Oxford, Truss worked in the energy and telecommunications industry for 10 years as a commercial manager and economics director, and is a qualified management accountant. She entered Parliament in 2010 and was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Childcare in September 2012.

Truss now has overall responsibility for the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), and her responsibilities include:

  • EU and international relations
  • emergencies
  • climate change
  • Common Agricultural Policy reform
  • biodiversity

The move comes after Owen Paterson, the former Environment Minister, was sacked from his central government role last night (14 July) in what many believe is a reshuffle to help Cameron fulfil his promise of having women comprise a third of his ministers before the general election next year. However, Cameron tweeted today saying that the changes in the front bench were about 'putting in place a team that continues to deliver the long term economic plan & ensures a brighter future for all'.

According to the BBC’s Chief Political Correspondent Norman Smith, there was some ‘resistance’ to Paterson’s removal from some right-wing Conservatives who support Paterson’s ‘euro-sceptic’ stance on the UK’s membership of the European Union. (In related news, the Welsh Environment Minister Alun Davies was sacked from his post last week.) 

'Laws of probability dictate that Liz Truss will be better than Owen Paterson'

In response to the announcement that Liz Truss MP will become Secretary of State for Defra, a Greenpeace spokesperson said: "Liz Truss has written extensively on the importance of science to education and the economy. If she can bring that respect for evidence and rigour into her new role, then we should see a more coherent approach to the environment than the embarrassing shambles of the last few years.

"Common sense and the laws of probability dictate that Liz Truss will be better than Owen Paterson. She starts with a clean slate and we wish her well."

The Environmental Services Association (ESA), which represents around half of the UK's materials recovery facility (MRF) operators, also welcomed the appointment of Truss, with Director General Barry Dennis saying "her work at the think-tank Reform advocating a greater focus on tackling serious and organised crime is to be applauded".  

He added: "We look forward to engaging with her on the key issues that are facing the waste and resources sector".

Other changes to the cabinet include:

  • Matthew Hancock, MP for West Suffolk has been awarded a number of positions, and is now Minister of State at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills; Minister of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change; and Minister of State for Portsmouth (as well as 'Ministerial Champion for the Bioeconomy'. He replaces Michael Fallon, who is now Defence Secretary; and
  • Hastings and Rye MP Amber Rudd has been appointed as Parlimentary Under Secretary of State at DECC. She replaces Greg Barker, who announced his resignation from Parliament today.

Following the appointments, Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change Edward Davey said: “I’m looking forward to welcoming Matthew Hancock and Amber Rudd to DECC. They join us as we are increasingly demonstrating the success of our policies to meet Britain’s energy and climate change challenge. I know their combined experience and abilities will be an enormous asset as we complete this government’s work.

“I want to thank Michael Fallon and Greg Barker for their immense contributions to turning around the legacy of energy underinvestment we inherited. I was particularly grateful to Greg for his support on my battles on climate and to Michael, for his backing for my pro-competition approach to the Big Six.”

Despite rumours to the contrary, Minister for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles announced today that he was 'honoured' to continue as Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), while Brandon Lewis MP, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at DCLG, has been promoted to Minister of State at DCLG, with responsibility for housing and planning. 

A full list of the new appointments is available online.