DEFRA secretary Hilary Benn has retained his seat in the House of Commons following the general election, but his future as the UK’s most senior farming representative remains in doubt.
Benn garnered 18,434 votes and 49.3 per cent of the vote as Labour candidate for Leeds Central, a 10.2 per cent decrease on the equivalent ward in 2005.
But the likelihood of him retaining his position as secretary of state as the leaders of the three main political parties - the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats - take measures to form a UK government.
Vegetarian DEFRA secretary Benn has widely been regarded as a progressive incumbent of the role iniating the ‘war on waste’ and the Fruit and Vegetable Task Force among other initiatives.
Farming minister Jim Fitzpatrick also retained his seat, gaining 18,679 votes and 40 per cent of the vote in the Poplar & Limehouse ward of London.
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