The president of the Country Landowners Association has welcomed the appointment of Theresa May as the new Prime Minister.

Ross Murray said he looked forward to working with Theresa May and her cabinet to grow the rural economy and support the environment.

"This is a pivotal moment for how food is produced and how the countryside is managed," he said. "The new Prime Minister has an historic opportunity to drive the establishment of a world-leading UK food, farming and environmental policy that will benefit the whole nation.

“Ahead of Brexit negotiations getting underway we are calling on the Prime Minister to commit to delivering the trade relationships that will allow the agricultural sector in particular to flourish, and to reducing the regulatory burdens that have frustrated rural businesses for too long. Alongside these new opportunities, it is crucial that we build on current momentum to achieve better broadband and mobile connectivity in rural areas, tackle the housing crisis in the countryside, and support land management that cares for the environment and alleviates flood risk. We will be looking to the Prime Minister to ensure Defra has the capacity to take on new tasks repatriated from Europe.”