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Gove’s gone and now Coffey’s off

There has been a mini reshuffle at DEFRA this week following the exit of resources and waste minister Thérèse Coffey.

Coffey has been appointed to replace Amber Rudd as work and pensions secretary after the latter announced she was leaving both the cabinet and the Tory party. Michael Gove had already left DEFRA, where he was secretary of state, to become Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in an earlier reshuffle.

This means the two politicians at the heart of the government’s “overhaul” of its waste strategy have now left the department responsible for pushing it all through.

As yet, there is no indication of who will take over the resources and waste brief.

However, Rebecca Pow has joined the DEFRA team as parliamentary under secretary of state. This isn’t her first stint at DEFRA, as Ends Report noted: “In 2017, she was appointed as a permanent private secretary in the department. She also sat on the Environmental Audit Committee for a short period between 2016-2017 and has chaired the all party group on ancient woodland.”

Meanwhile, Zac Goldsmith has reportedly now taken a cabinet seat, but his role appears unchanged – he will work across DEFRA and the Department for International Development, focusing on protected areas and illegal wildlife trade.

Theresa Villiers remains as secretary of state at DEFRA, alongside George Eustice and Lord Gardiner of Kimble.