Backing Farming

East Yorkshire MP Sir Greg Knight has welcomed the announcement that the Conservatives will protect funding for British farmers, enabling them to take full advantage of the opportunities of Brexit.

In a significant boost to the farming sector across the UK, a new Conservative government would match the current annual budget available to farmers in every year of the next Parliament. This funding will support farmers as they move away from the EU’s bureaucratic, unfair and environmentally-damaging Common Agricultural Policy.

Ministers also announced the Conservatives will use the opportunity of leaving the EU to urge the public sector to “Buy British”, in recognition of the quality of British food.

Greg is a long-term campaigner on farming issues, particularly against lax EU food labelling laws which allow inferior imported produce to be passed off as British.  Greg says: ‘Farmers need stability, certainty and a smooth transition, so this new announcement of funding is good news for them’. 

‘With the freedom the UK will have to introduce clearer ‘country of origin’ labelling when we leave the EU and the Conservative Government drive to promote high quality British produce, our farmers can look forward to a Brexit bounce’.

Theresa Villiers, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said:

‘Brexit provides a huge opportunity to transform British farming. By leaving the discredited Common Agricultural Policy, we can help British farmers become more productive at the same time as improving our natural environment’.

‘I am delighted to announce that a Conservative government would guarantee to match the current annual budget available to farmers in every year of the next Parliament. This gives farmers across the UK the reassurance they need to plan for the future’.

‘It’s only by getting Brexit done that we can create a bright new future for farming.

The last thing farmers need is the prolonged uncertainty and chaos of two more referendums under Labour’.