Thérèse Coffey has been appointed the new Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as a result of Prime Minister (PM) Rishi Sunak’s cabinet reshuffle. Coffey previously held a junior ministerial role at Defra from 2016 to 2019.

Thérèse Coffey["Thérèse Coffey" by Chris McAndrew under CC BY 3.0]

Until now, Coffey has served as Deputy PM and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care under PM Liz Truss. She replaces Ranil Jayawardena, who resigned yesterday (25 October). Jayawardena was appointed to the role in September.

After Amber Rudd’s resignation from PM Boris Johnson's Cabinet in September 2019, Coffey was selected as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. Previously, in her role as Minister of State for Defra she was said to be ‘heavily involved in developing and bringing forward the Resources and Waste Strategy’.

In her time as Resources Minister, Coffey reiterated the preference of the government to use voluntary commitments and measures to enact change, rather than introduce new regulations. This was particularly clear during her evidence session for Defra’s inquiry on food waste.

Coffey has also expressed apprehension of concept of a circular economy, telling the Environmental Audit Committee in 2016: “The word circular economy to me is at risk of implying there isn’t growth, we can continue to grow, it doesn’t just need to be a closed loop.”

Coffey has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Suffolk Coastal since 2010.

Commenting on Coffey’s appointment, Executive Director of the ESA, Jacob Hayler, said: “Welcoming new ministers to Defra seems to be happening with alarming regularity these days, but in Therese Coffey we have a Secretary of State who is well-versed in the UK’s resources and waste management sector, having served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary with responsibility for resource and environment management between 2016 and 2019 – during which time the Government announced its flagship Resources and Waste Strategy.

“While this feels like a back-to-the-future moment, our industry still awaits these flagship reforms and the new Secretary of State is now in a fantastic position to finish what she started and get them over the line – helping our sector to create a more circular economy, while also delivering growth and jobs across the UK.”

A spokesperson from the Chartered Institution for Wastes Management (CIWM), added: “CIWM welcomes Thérèse Coffey as the new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The Institution looks forward to developing a close working relationship [with] Dr Coffey which will support the UK economy in meeting its 2050 net zero target and accelerate the development of a more circular economy.

“CIWM echoes its recent calls for the Government to release the outcomes of the DRS (Deposit Return Scheme) and Consistent Collections consultations. Alongside packaging EPR, these changes will set the policy context for household and commercial waste management for the next decade and beyond.

“More than ever, however, it is essential that we maintain a period of stability and consistency that will allow the new Secretary of State and her team to bring about positive change. Failure to do so will further damage confidence and impact much needed innovation and investment.

“CIWM and the UK waste and resource management sector are committed to driving the development of the circular economy and wants to work with the Government to realise this ambition and move to a world beyond waste.”