Profiles of Chris Huhne, Caroline Spelman and Philip Hammond, the ministerial team that will drive UK climate and environment policy
Allegra Stratton and David Adam
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 13 May 2010 14.59 BST
From left to right: transport secretary, Philip Hammond, energy and climate secretary, Chris Huhne, and environment, food and rural affairs secretary, Caroline Spelman. Illustration: Reuters, Getty, AP
Allegra Stratton and David Adam
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 13 May 2010 14.59 BST
From left to right: transport secretary, Philip Hammond, energy and climate secretary, Chris Huhne, and environment, food and rural affairs secretary, Caroline Spelman. Illustration: Reuters, Getty, AP
Chris Huhne: energy and climate change secretary (Liberal Democrat)
After a career as a City analyst and many posts as a financial journalist - including a period as Guardian economics leader writer - Huhne entered parliament in 2005. His sway to the left nearly secured him the top job of party leader when he ran against Nick Clegg, but most believe that was expediency and now he is in the centre.
He has had some experience in this role, having been the Lib Dems' environment spokesman. But he will now have to marry his own party's desire to reject nuclear power stations and increase to 40% the renewable energy target with the pragmatism of coalition. The Conservatives are in favour of new-build nuclear, but can the Liberal Democrat MP as energy secretary face down a Tory wish for new nuclear and also some Labour support?
Caroline Spelman: environment, food and rural affairs secretary (Conservative)
With 15 years' experience in the agriculture sector, Spelman is well-versed in the problems faced by farmers. Elected as MP for Meriden in the West Midlands in 1997, she was previously deputy director of the International Confederation of European Beet Growers in Paris, and a research fellow for the Centre for European Agricultural Studies at the University of Kent.
From 1981-84 she was sugar beet commodity secretary for the National Farmers Union (NFU). With her husband, she co-owns Spelman, Cormack & Associates, a food and biotechnology business.
In opposition, she has served as shadow international development secretary and spokeswoman for environmental affairs for Theresa May. In 2004 she became shadow secretary of state for local and devolved government affairs and was later promoted to Conservative party chairman. She was appointed shadow secretary of state for communities and local government last year.
Among the issues likely to feature in her first red boxes are the reform of the common agricultural policy, lobbying from her former colleagues at the NFU to reduce the regulatory burden on farmers and the future of the UK uplands.
Philip Hammond: transport secretary (Conservative)
MP for Runnymede and Weybridge since 1997, Hammond was a member of the conservative shadow health team before becoming trade and industry spokesman. He was made shadow chief secretary to the Treasury in 2007. He has some parliamentary experience of transport and environment, sitting on the environment, transport and regions select committee from 1997-98.
He could face some tricky early decisions. While the Liberal Democrats have talked of increases to fuel duty, the Conservatives want to peg it back. And the Lib Dems are keen on replacing vehicle excise duty with some form of road-pricing in future, which would be deeply unpopular with Tory supporters.
After a career as a City analyst and many posts as a financial journalist - including a period as Guardian economics leader writer - Huhne entered parliament in 2005. His sway to the left nearly secured him the top job of party leader when he ran against Nick Clegg, but most believe that was expediency and now he is in the centre.
He has had some experience in this role, having been the Lib Dems' environment spokesman. But he will now have to marry his own party's desire to reject nuclear power stations and increase to 40% the renewable energy target with the pragmatism of coalition. The Conservatives are in favour of new-build nuclear, but can the Liberal Democrat MP as energy secretary face down a Tory wish for new nuclear and also some Labour support?
Caroline Spelman: environment, food and rural affairs secretary (Conservative)
With 15 years' experience in the agriculture sector, Spelman is well-versed in the problems faced by farmers. Elected as MP for Meriden in the West Midlands in 1997, she was previously deputy director of the International Confederation of European Beet Growers in Paris, and a research fellow for the Centre for European Agricultural Studies at the University of Kent.
From 1981-84 she was sugar beet commodity secretary for the National Farmers Union (NFU). With her husband, she co-owns Spelman, Cormack & Associates, a food and biotechnology business.
In opposition, she has served as shadow international development secretary and spokeswoman for environmental affairs for Theresa May. In 2004 she became shadow secretary of state for local and devolved government affairs and was later promoted to Conservative party chairman. She was appointed shadow secretary of state for communities and local government last year.
Among the issues likely to feature in her first red boxes are the reform of the common agricultural policy, lobbying from her former colleagues at the NFU to reduce the regulatory burden on farmers and the future of the UK uplands.
Philip Hammond: transport secretary (Conservative)
MP for Runnymede and Weybridge since 1997, Hammond was a member of the conservative shadow health team before becoming trade and industry spokesman. He was made shadow chief secretary to the Treasury in 2007. He has some parliamentary experience of transport and environment, sitting on the environment, transport and regions select committee from 1997-98.
He could face some tricky early decisions. While the Liberal Democrats have talked of increases to fuel duty, the Conservatives want to peg it back. And the Lib Dems are keen on replacing vehicle excise duty with some form of road-pricing in future, which would be deeply unpopular with Tory supporters.
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