Dame Angela Eagle has been appointed as a minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) following a major government reshuffle. She replaces Daniel Zeichner, who was removed from the post as part of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s changes to the frontbench team.
The reshuffle was triggered by the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner over a stamp duty breach and Angela Eagle, a long-serving Labour MP with experience in several government departments, will now take responsibility for areas within DEFRA covering wholesale.
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FWD chief executive James Bielby said: “Having worked closely with several food ministers over the years, Daniel Zeichner was heads and shoulders above any other incumbent – 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.”
