Steve Reed appointed Shadow Defra Secretary

Following Jim McMahon’s resignation this morning (Monday 4th September) as Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, amid a wider shadow cabinet reshuffle Sir Keir Starmer has appointed Steve Reed MP to succeed him and lead the party’s rural policy into the next general election.

Steve Reed steps across from a role as Shadow Justice Secretary and has been the MP for Croydon North since winning a by-election in 2012. Previously he served as Leader of Lambeth Council, having represented the Brixton Hill ward, and was deputy leader of Labour Local Government; he was awarded the OBE for services to local government in 2013. In 2016, serving as a shadow local government minister, he was part of the wave of resignations in protest at the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. Prior to entering politics his professional background was in educational publishing.

Mr Reed joins a Shadow Defra team that has struggled to attract a spotlight, with the party focused on the cost of living, achieving growth and sharing its proceeds. His opportunity is to put rural communities at the centre of Labour’s appeal to the country. One direction that would fit closely with Labour’s agenda would be to concentrate on tackling the rural premium, the extra costs that people in rural areas must bear in relation to housing, transport and goods. He could also look to support rural business, for example by pressing for better broadband connectivity and backing our call for action against malicious fake reviews. 

Although he has in the past been no friend to rural pursuits, Mr Reed would do well to heed the words of Peter Mandelson, speaking at the Future Countryside event in June. Lord Mandelson warned his party against stoking culture wars against rural minorities at the behest of single-issue pressure groups. Labour, he said, must appeal to the whole country and rigorously avoid “pitching town against village, city against countryside”. 

These are the standards the countryside will judge Mr Reed against as he shapes Labour’s rural offer in its election manifesto. We wish him every success in meeting them, and we look forward to meeting him soon.