# Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is a position with the UK Opposition's Shadow Cabinet that deals with issues surrounding the environment and food and rural affairs; if the opposition party is elected to government, the designated person is a likely choice to become the new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The position existed as Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment until 1997, when it was renamed Environment, Transport and the Regions to match the Government's reorganisation. It changed to its current name in 2001 for the same reason. Under Michael Howard, the arrangement was slightly different. There was a Shadow Environment Secretary outside Shadow Cabinet and (together with the Shadow Transport Secretary) under the direction of the Shadow Secretary of State for Environment and Transport.

## Shadow Secretaries of State

Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment :
| Name | Name | Name | Took office | Left office | Political party | Shadow Cabinet |
| | Anthony Crosland | | 19 June 1970 | 5 March 1974 | Labour | Wilson II |
| | Margaret Thatcher | | 5 March 1974 | 18 February 1975 | Conservative | Heath II |
| | Timothy Raison | | 18 February 1975 | 19 November 1976 | Conservative | Thatcher |
| | Michael Heseltine | | 19 November 1976 | 4 May 1979 | Conservative | Thatcher |
| | Peter Shore | | 4 May 1979 | 14 July 1979 | | Callaghan |
| | Roy Hattersley | | 14 July 1979 | 8 December 1980 | | Callaghan |
| | Gerald Kaufman | | 8 December 1980 | 31 October 1983 | | Foot |
| | Jack Cunningham | | 31 October 1983 | 2 November 1989 | | Kinnock |
| | Bryan Gould | | 2 November 1989 | 18 July 1992 | | Kinnock |
| | Chris Smith | | 18 July 1992 | 20 October 1994 | | Smith |
| | Chris Smith | | 18 July 1992 | 20 October 1994 | | Beckett |
| | Frank Dobson | | 20 October 1994 | 2 May 1997 | | Blair |
| | John Gummer | | 2 May 1997 | 11 June 1997 | Conservative | Major |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions |||||||
| Name | Name | Name | Took office | Left office | Political party | Shadow Cabinet |
| | Norman Fowler | | 11 June 1997 | 1 June 1998 | Conservative | Hague |
| | Gillian Shepherd | | 1 June 1998 | 14 June 1999 | Conservative | Hague |
| | John Redwood | | 14 June 1999 | 2 February 2000 | Conservative | Hague |
| | Archie Norman | | 2 February 2000 | 18 September 2001 | Conservative | Hague |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs |||||||
| Name | Name | Name | Took office | Left office | Political party | Shadow Cabinet |
| | Peter Ainsworth | | 18 September 2001 | 23 July 2002 | Conservative | Duncan Smith |
| | David Lidington | | 23 July 2002 | 10 November 2003 | Conservative | Duncan Smith |
| Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment |||||||
| Name | Name | Name | Took office | Left office | Political party | Shadow Cabinet |
| | Caroline Spelman | | 10 November 2003 | 15 March 2004 | Conservative | Howard |
| | Richard Ottaway | | 15 March 2004 | 10 May 2005 | Conservative | Howard |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs |||||||
| Name | Name | Name | Took office | Left office | Political party | Shadow Cabinet |
| | Oliver Letwin | | 10 May 2005 | 6 December 2005 | Conservative | Howard |
| | Peter Ainsworth | | 6 December 2005 | 19 January 2009 | Conservative | Cameron |
| | Nick Herbert | | 19 January 2009 | 11 May 2010 | Conservative | Cameron |
| | Hilary Benn | | 11 May 2010 | 8 October 2010 | Labour | Harman I |
| | Mary Creagh | | 8 October 2010 | 7 October 2013 | Labour | Miliband |
| | Maria Eagle | | 7 October 2013 | 14 September 2015 | Labour | Miliband |
| | Maria Eagle | | 7 October 2013 | 14 September 2015 | Labour | Harman II |
| | Kerry McCarthy | | 14 September 2015 | 26 June 2016 | Labour | Corbyn |
| | Rachael Maskell | | 27 June 2016 | 1 February 2017 | Labour | Corbyn |
| | Sue Hayman | | 9 February 2017 | 12 December 2019 | Labour | Corbyn |
| | Luke Pollard On leave: 30 August 2021 – 5 October 2021 Acting Shadow Secretary: Daniel Zeichner | | 7 January 2020 | 29 November 2021 | Labour | Corbyn |
| | Luke Pollard On leave: 30 August 2021 – 5 October 2021 Acting Shadow Secretary: Daniel Zeichner | | 7 January 2020 | 29 November 2021 | Labour | Starmer |
| | Jim McMahon | | 29 November 2021 | 4 September 2023 | Labour | Starmer |
| | Steve Reed | | 4 September 2023 | 5 July 2024 | Labour | Starmer |
| | Steve Barclay | | 8 July 2024 | 5 November 2024 | Conservative | Sunak |
| | Victoria Atkins | | 5 November 2024 | Incumbent | Conservative | Badenoch |