Andrea Leadsom, the Conservative leadership candidate who pulled out of the race on Monday, has been appointed Defra secretary in Theresa May’s new Cabinet.

Leadsom’s withdrawal form the Tory leadership contest allowed Theresa May to enter 10 Downing Street this week, and the former energy minister and pro-Brexit campaigner’s appointment as Defra secretary has raised some eyebrows. Although the move to Defra represents a promotion from the role she held under David Cameron, as Environment Secretary Leadsom will have the difficult task of overseeing policy changes as Britain extricates itself from the EU, as well as honouring promises made whilst campaigning for Brexit.

Whilst backing the Leave camp ahead of June’s EU Referendum, Leadsom suggested that farm subsidies could be scrapped altogether in the event of a vote to leave - a stance which diverged dramatically from fellow Brexit campaigners, including farming minister George Eustice, who said farmers could expect to see subsidy payments preserved at current levels or even increased.

Leadsom replaces Liz Truss as Environment Secretary, after Truss was appointed Justice Minister on Thursday morning.

Responding to Leadsom's appointment on Thursday, Ross Murray, president of landowner's lobby group CLA said, “We look forward to working with the new Defra Secretary and her team as farmers and other rural businesses work to make the most of the opportunities, and tackle the challenges, that are ahead.

“Highest on the agenda will be immediate action to reduce uncertainty in the wake of the vote for Brexit. We will be asking Andrea Leadsom to make swift commitments on five priority issues for the rural economy – ensuring direct payments up to 2020; honouring agri-environment agreements; establishing a new food, farming and environmental policy to succeed and better the CAP; engaging in full and clear consultation with farmers; and honouring commitments under current EU structural fund programmes.

“Government and farmers together have a unique opportunity to create better outcomes for the agriculture sector, the rural economy and the environment. We look forward to discussing this opportunity with the new Defra Secretary at the earliest opportunity.”

Murray and the CLA are asking Leadsom to make five main commitments:

• All farmers and land managers to continue to receive direct payments, at the same level as they have budgeted to expect, up to the end of 2020, whatever the timeframe for the UK’s exit from the EU.
• All existing agri-environment agreements to be honoured through to the end of their contracted terms and agri-environment schemes which are currently open for applicants must remain so.
• A fully funded food, farming and environmental policy to be in place and ready to be implemented before existing support is removed.
• All other investments committed to under EU structural funds must be honoured by the UK Government up to the end of the current programme.
• The policy development process to be fully transparent, with clear milestones and consultation with landowners and farmers at every stage. CLA President Ross Murray added: “We look forward to helping the Secretary of State and her team as Defra creates a world-leading policy for food, farming and the environment.”