Caroline Spelman has been replaced as secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs in this week's reshuffle.
Spelman is leaving government to be replaced by former Northern Ireland secretary Owen Paterson in the DEFRA hotseat.
In a busy week for government, Andrew Lansley was also replaced as secretary of state for health by culture secretary Jeremy Hunt. He instead becomes leader of the House of Commons.
Paterson, the MP for North Shropshire, recently met with farmers to discuss the growing crisis around milk prices. He had pledged to take up their case with DEFRA minister Jim Paice, and farmers and growers will hope he maintains his commitment to support sustainable British food production.
The Cambridge-educated MP became MD of his family’s leather business in 1994, and has been president of the European Tanners’ Confederation. He also acted as shadow minister of agriculture from October 2005 to November 2006.
In its political biography the NFU refers to Paterson as “a tall, good looking ‘nouveau toff’,” who is married to the daughter of Viscount Ridley. The French and German speaker had to repay £5,229 in the expenses scandal after overclaiming for mortage interest, repairs, security and insurance on his second home, claims he said were genuine mistakes.
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