MP for Workington Sue Hayman has been named Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, after Rachael Maskell resigned last week.

Hayman, who became an MP for the first time in the 2015 general election, has served as Shadow Minister for Flooding and Coastal Communities since October 2016.

She was one of four new shadow ministers announced by Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn last night (9 February), following the latest speight of resignations triggered by Corbyn’s stance on the recent Brexit bill votes in the House of Commons.

Maskell, who only took up the shadow role last June, resigned last week ahead of her defying of the Labour whip by voting against the Brexit bill. She had taken over from her predecessor, Kerry McCarthy, who was also among the 47 Labour MPs to go against Corbyn’s wishes in the vote, when the Bristol East MP stepped down following June’s referendum.

Since Corbyn took over the Labour leadership there have been 32 resignations from front bench shadow roles, leading to four reshuffles in the past 18 months.

Prior to her flooding position Hayman herself had served as a Labour party whip from September 2015 to October 2016.

Hayman has not participated in any debates on waste or resources since entering parliament, but did this month raise the need for ‘better food storage and waste facility areas’ to address the issue of problematic seagulls in coastal communities, calling on examples from her West Cumbria constituency.

Hayman has not commented on her new role, but announcing the four new shadow ministers, Corbyn said: “I’m pleased to announce appointments to Labour’s Shadow Cabinet. We have a wealth of talent in our party and the strength of our shadow team will develop Labour’s alternative plan to rebuild and transform Britain, so that no one and no community is left behind.”