The Member of Parliament (MP) for Dunfermline and West Fife, Thomas Docherty, will now be responsible for the Labour Party’s environment brief, after having been appointed as Shadow Environment Minister. It is thought Docherty will assume the water and waste portfolio, but this has yet to be confirmed.
Docherty has been a member of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee since 2010 and has served as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Shadow Chief Secretary of the Treasury and to the Shadow Leader of the House of Commons. He replaces former Shadow Environment Minister Gavin Shuker, who has now been appointed to Labour’s International Development team.
Taking to social media site Twitter, Shuker said: “I loved my Shadow Environment brief. Honestly Water and Waste is a fantastic beat, and @Thomas_Docherty will be superb.”
Earlier this week it was announced that Shadow Transport Minister and MP for Garston and Halewood, Maria Eagle MP, had swapped roles with Wakefield MP and Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Mary Creagh.
Other Labour politicians who cover the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs include: Lord (Jim) Knight, who retains his position as Shadow Spokesperson for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Barry Gardiner, who sits on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee; and MP Huw Irranca-Davies, who serves as Shadow Minister on Food and Farming.
The news comes amidst a wider reshuffle of cabinet ministers, with the Coalition Government announcing that its Minister of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, David Heath, and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Richard Benyon, have been replaced by Liberal Democrat MP Dan Rogerson, and Conservative MP George Eustice.
Lord de Mauley continues to hold the title of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, although it is yet to be confirmed whether his responsibilities will continue to cover waste and resources. Owen Paterson remains as Secretary of State for the Environment.
Read more about the frontbench reshuffle.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.