Did she jump or was she pushed? Few tears will be shed over Cabinet departure of Thérèse Coffey

                                                      

It's farewell to Government, but Ms Coffey (third right) can now concentrate on constituency duties in Suffolk

JUST hours after returning from attending the United for Wildlife global summit in Singapore, Thérèse Coffey is out of Government.

It is believed she got wind of her dismissal as Environment Secretary in advance of a telephone call from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and decided to jump the gun by resigning before she could be sacked.

Dr Coffey made few friends in the conservation world because she seemed to show  little appreciation and awareness of the environment and Nature. 

Although undoubtedly tough-minded, her attitude was often brusque, and she seemed to bear a grudge against those who crossed her. For an experienced politician, she was also surprisingly gaffe-prone.

As a result her departure has been met with unrestrained glee from many high-profile birders.

Author Stephen Moss tweeted:  "The worst Environment Secretary ever (and that takes some doing!) has resigned.

"Good riddance Thérèse Coffey - you were utterly useless, and according to one leading conservationist who met you, the rudest and most uninterested politician they had ever met."

And Mark Avery said. "Thérèse Coffey resigns as Environment Secretary, saying it is 'right time' for her to leave government. No, that time was long ago."

However, to her credit, she was the RSPB's parliamentary champion for the bittern.

In a gracious reply to Dr Coffey's resignation letter, the Prime Minister has written as follows:

Dear Thérèse

Thank you for your letter. I want to express my gratitude to you for your years of dedicated ministerial service and your friendship to me personally. 

As Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs you have worked hard to deliver for our rural communities. The Farm to Fork summit, which I was delighted that we could host together in Downing Street, did a great job of promoting the wonderful food and drink produced by our farmers. 

You have driven work across Government to support the rural economy and taken measures to protect food production here at home. You have been a consistent champion of better rural broadband. 

Our international leadership on nature is a source of pride to us as a country, and you have taken that forward. Your support for a moratorium on deep sea mining is a powerful example of UK leadership in this field. 

I am also grateful to you for all your work as Health Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister which helped prepare the health service for the winter. In a difficult time for our party - your teamwork and positivity helped bring everyone together. 

During the pandemic, your leadership of the Department for Work and Pensions ensured that the welfare system kept working and supported people at a time of exceptional stress. I am pleased that our work together on Kickstart helped young people to get skills and jobs following the pandemic. 

Your record is one of dedicated service. 

With thanks for your service and friendship.

Lancashire-born Ms Coffey, who is 52, single and a diehard Liverpool FC fan, will now be able to concentrate on her responsibilities at her constituency, Suffolk Coastal.