Andrea Leadsom named Defra Secretary in Theresa May Cabinet reshuffle

Andrea Leadsom leaves 10 Downing Street where she was appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Getty

Andrea Leadsom has been appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Following her abandoned Conservative Party leadership bid that handed the premiership to Theresa May, Ms Leadsom will now head up the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs. 

She replaces Liz Truss, who had been Defra Secretary since July 2014 and who has now been appointed Justice Secretary. 

Ms Leadsom was previously Minister for Energy at the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

She disappointed pro-Brexit Tories after pulling out of the leadership race, leaving Theresa May as the uncontested candidate to become Prime Minister.

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage said he was “disappointed”, when Ms Leadsom announced her withdrawal from the race citing “enormous pressure”, and saying a nine-week leadership campaign following the Brexit vote was “highly undesirable”.