Robert Goodwill is the new chairman of the House of Common’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Select Committee.
Sir Robert, the Conservative MP for Scarborough and Whitby, was chosen by MPs from a shortlist of five candidates, winning 243 out of 474 votes cast.
He beat off competition from Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Neil Hudson, Anthony Mangnall and Derek Thomas.
See also: FW Opinion: Conspiracy not the culprit in Parish’s departure
Sir Robert said: “I am delighted to have been elected chairman of this important committee. I hope my experience as a working farmer and as a former agriculture minister will mean I can hit the ground running.”
He replaces Neil Parish, Conservative MP for Tiverton and Honiton, who resigned as an MP after he admitted in April allegations that he had watched pornography in parliament.
Mr Parish, a dairy farmer in Somerset, had chaired the influential cross-party committee since 2015, and he had challenged the government approach to rewilding and farming labour shortages.
Sir Robert was Defra farm minister from March 2019 to July 2019. He was a minister of the Department for Education from June 2017 to January 2018 and was elected Conservative MP for Scarborough and Whitby in 2005.
�?Wealth of experience’
Landowners’ organisation the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) congratulated Sir Robert on his appointment.
CLA president Mark Tufnell said: “Sir Robert will bring a wealth of experience to the role. He takes the chair at a time of unprecedented uncertainty for farmers and rural businesses.
“With the agricultural transition, rampant inflation, deepening concerns over food security and a rural economy unnecessarily weakened by poor policy-making at times, his in-tray will no doubt be full. Government needs holding to account, and we wish him well in this important position.”
Good news as Robert Goodwill is elected Chair of @CommonsEFRA
Farmer, countryman and general good man
— Tim Bonner (@CA_TimB) May 25, 2022
The Efra committee currently has 11 inquiries, including on rural mental health, labour shortages in the food and farming sector, the Animals Abroad Bill and the Australia free-trade agreement and its effect on food and agriculture.
The remit of the committee is to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of Defra and its associated public bodies.
