The environmentalist and politician, a close friend of Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie, has been removed from the pet welfare paper and will no longer attend cabinet. However, he is expected to retain his role at the Foreign Office, where he is secretary of state for the Pacific and the international environment. Downing Street initially said it had put the reshuffle on hold during the national period of mourning. In a farewell letter to environment department staff, seen by the Guardian, Goldsmith said he was “very sad” to leave after a “whirlwind” three years, before listing his achievements on forestry, plastic pollution and the oceans. He issued what appeared to be a warning to Truss. “We still have a lot to do to turn things around here,” he said. “The UK is, after all, one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. But if Defra [the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] continues to receive the support you need and deserve across government, you can and will turn the tide.” Tory MP Henry Smith said: “Zac has been a fantastic champion of animal welfare issues in government and, despite all the other distractions, has been instrumental in getting many pieces of legislation on the statute books… he would expect by the government to deliver on all its manifesto and animal welfare commitments, regardless of which people hold roles in various departments.” Animal welfare campaigners worry that under the new environment secretary, Ranil Jayawardena, a former trade minister, farmers could be discounted on animal welfare grounds in trade deals. Some Tory MPs suggested Goldsmith fell short in the eyes of the new environment secretary, Mark Spencer, a farmer. They believe Truss may be planning to reject the protected animals bill, despite Jayawardene telling the Commons last week that voting would resume as soon as possible. An MP said: “Liz can give it up. He had no interest in animal welfare while he was minister in Defra.” There are also fears that a ban on trophy hunting which Goldsmith had championed but which has faced opposition from some conservatives could be lifted, meaning parts of endangered animals shot abroad would be allowed to continue being imported. The ban was a Tory manifesto pledge for the last parliamentary session, when former environment secretary George Eustice said the government was “absolutely committed” to bringing a bill forward, but the government said time had run out. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Lorraine Platt, co-founder of the influential Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation, of which Carrie Johnson is a patron, said she was disappointed by Goldsmith’s removal, as she was a champion of animal welfare. “Our government has always argued that animal welfare standards will be upheld in any trade deals, but it is vital that this is respected and that our farmers are not undermined by poor trade deals. We have higher animal welfare standards here than many countries, so they can’t compete,” he said. “The UK is behind some countries in finishing cages and boxes – that was something Jacques wanted to do if he had stayed. There is still much we can do about trade agreements. It is important to the public that animal welfare is promoted and we hope the Government recognizes this and continues to support and improve our high standards.”
