Therese Coffey's appointment as the new Environment Secretary came as a surprise to those who expected her to return to the backbenches after the departure of her close friend Liz Truss from Downing Street.

But actually it looks like quite an astute move by new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak if he wants to keep all wings of his party onside.

East Anglian Daily Times: Dr Therese Coffey still has a seat at the Cabinet table.Dr Therese Coffey still has a seat at the Cabinet table. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

What it also does is throw up a very real challenge for her - the Environment Secretary has one of the most controversial green issues in the country sitting in the middle of her constituency and an electorate divided about what the government could do.

Dr Coffey is now in charge of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - it's effectively the old Min of Ag with environmental issues tagged on.

This part of the world has a history of Tory MPs fulfilling that role - Jim Prior, John Gummer (Dr Coffey's predecessor in Suffolk Coastal) and Norfolk MP Liz Truss herself have all been Ministers of Agriculture/Environment Secretaries.

And in appointing her to the role, Mr Sunak has shown his party that he wasn't going to punish ALL Ms Truss's loyalists while making sure Dr Coffey wasn't able to anger health professionals any further after a tetchy seven weeks in that department!

But he has appointed her to a particularly sensitive job for her constituency - and while she may seem very thick-skinned when it comes to politics, she could have a difficult path to tread over the next few months.

Sizewell C is in the middle of her constituency with all the controversy that surrounds that. She must be aware that the debate about that in her constituency transcends party politics.

There are rural Conservatives appalled by the likely impact of the power station's construction on what is, to many, an idyllic part of the countryside.

And there are Labour supporters who would welcome the arrival of well-paid industrial jobs in the area.

There are also, of course, very vocal and influential environmental groups in her constituency - the RSPB, National Trust and the Wildlife Trust are all very concerned about what is planned.

What happens at Sizewell is not up to the Environment Secretary, but the department has a very big input into the decision. It would probably have to be one of her more junior ministers who actually makes its case in the Sizewell debate - but as Secretary of State she will always be closely identified with that by the public.

Of course, it remains to be seen how much of an issue Sizewell C is likely to be for the Sunak government.

It is a very expensive project and would require a great deal of government capital expenditure to get it under way.

Given that we're facing a second era of austerity in 15 years and that any investment now will not pay off for a decade, I can't help feeling that any moves towards progressing Sizewell C are likely to proceed in first gear (or even be left in neutral) for the next two or three years.

To be fair Dr Coffey has never really committed herself one way or another on Sizewell C - saying she's broadly in favour of nuclear power and would like more jobs in her constituency but reflecting the very real concerns many of her voters feel about the impact on the area if the construction goes ahead.

And the fact is the current government has a maximum of two years to run - it will probably be nearer 18 months with a general election in May 2024.

Mr Sunak and his team will be trying to pull things around like John Major did between 1994 and 1997.

Like many others, I feel the current Conservative government has passed the point of no return. However well things seem to be going in 18 months, or two years, voters will not quickly forget the chaos of the last two years.

The polls look apocalyptic for the Tories at present. I don't think they'll look that bad by the time we get to the General Election. By then they will only look dire!

That means I see the party facing a 1997 scenario - probably enough for them to hold most seats in Suffolk but nowhere near enough to retain any grip on power.

And that will mean that any decision on Sizewell will probably end up in the in-tray of the next Labour Environment Secretary, and Dr Coffey will have no governmental position to worry about!