The NFU has expressed ‘disappointment’ at the lack of any mention of the agricultural budget in Labour’s manifesto.
This week has seen the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties publish their general election manifestos, with the Conservative and Labour documents, in particular, lacking in policy detail on food and farming.
Summarising the main UK parties’ manifestos, NFU welcomed the fact that, in recent months, they have all recognised the importance of food security to our national security.
It also weclomed the Liberal Democrat and Conservative commitments to increasing a protected UK agriculture budget by £1 billion and a Labour commitment to promote the highest standards when it comes to food imports and the Conservative promise to introduce a legally binding target to enhance our food security.
It welcomed all three parties’ commitments to support British food producers by increasing public sector sourcing from British farms, with the Conservatives and Labour promising to source at least 50% of public sector food locally or to higher environmental standards.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “There are plenty of positives across the three manifestos, and it’s clear that our constructive and open lobbying on many areas has been listened to.
With all the polls suggesting a Labour victory is highly likely on July 4, the Labour manifesto launch was arguably the most eagerly awaited.
But NFU President Tom Bradshaw said it was ‘deeply disappointing’ that there is no mention of an agriculture budget in the Labour manifesto. “Our members will welcome the Lib Dem and Conservative commitments to increase the UK agriculture budget by £1 billion and protect it,” he said.
“The single most vital element is the agricultural budget,” he said. “This isn’t just ‘money for farmers’, it’s the funding which helps the sector transition away from the old EU system, allows farm businesses to invest for the future and makes governments’ aims around sustainable food production, food security, the environment and net zero possible. It’s funding to help underpin the UK’s largest manufacturing sector – food and drink – which contributes more than £128 billion to the national economy and provides jobs for four million people.
With the Labour manifesto also pledging to scrap the ‘ineffective’ badger cull, Mr Bradshaw said the language around bovine TB in it was ‘incredibly unhelpful’.
“It disregards the latest science showing a 56% decline in this awful disease – which we should remember kills thousands of cattle a year – and disrespects the incredible efforts our members have made to try and deliver TB eradication by 2038,” he said.
The NFU’s key election asks include:
- A commitment to a UK agricultural budget that underpins sustainable domestic food production, delivers for the environment and supports all land tenures. We believe a UK agricultural budget of £5.5 billion would deliver this.
- Developing core production standards that apply to all agri-food imports.
Establishing a new food security index and target, including a statutory duty to monitor and report on domestic food production levels each year. - A smooth and seamless transition to new environmental schemes that are open to all farmers and growers, less bureaucratic and ensure profitable long-term food-producing businesses.
- A commitment to source 50% of food into the public sector from British farms.