Industry bodies react to Labour’s landslide election win

Farming and rural organisations have been giving their reaction to a seismic night for British politics after Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party swept to power in a landslide general election win.

Later today (Friday 5 July), Sir Keir will meet the King and take the keys to 10 Downing Street, ending 14 years of Conservative-led government.

In his victory speech, Sir Keir said the UK was waking up to “the sunlight of hope” and he promised “change begins now”.

See also: MPs with farming connections wiped out at election

Outgoing prime minister Rishi Sunak said it had been a “difficult night” for the Conservatives, adding that the British people had delivered a “sobering verdict” on his party.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw described Labour’s election win as a “reset moment” for British agriculture, adding that the union looked forward to working with Labour to drive the sector forwards and grow.

Mr Bradshaw said farmers’ number-one priority for the new Labour government must be to set an increased multi-year agriculture budget (currently £3.7bn a year) for the duration of the next parliament.

The NFU leader said Labour’s manifesto included a number of farming policies that it now wanted to see actioned, including their “shared mission” to increase national food security, ensuring new Environmental Land Management schemes work for all businesses, setting core standards for food imports and legislation to boost public procurement.

Mr Bradshaw said NFU members want the new government to be alert to the risk and impact of disease, especially bovine TB.

Meanwhile, issues that need greater recognition from Labour in the sector include a “fit for purpose” Seasonal Worker Scheme, effective import controls, supply chain fairness, investment in infrastructure and flexibility in planning.

NFU Scotland president Martin Kennedy said an immediate priority is securing a commitment from the Labour government on an increased, ring-fenced and multi-annual budget for farm support across the UK.

“That will enable farmers and crofters to invest, plan better and deliver the required outcomes that will be in the best interests of Scotland and the UK,” he added.

Labour must ‘listen and learn’

The Country, Land and Business Association (CLA) congratulated Labour on its election win, but warned the new government must listen to farmers and learn from the rural community.

CLA president Victoria Vyvyan said: “The new government must hit the ground running. From providing certainty around the farming budget to overhauling the archaic planning system, it needs to go for growth with a robust and ambitious strategy for the countryside.”

The Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) said Labour’s election manifesto contained “little details on its plans for agriculture”. Therefore, the new government must make its food and farming policies clear.

The top priority for the TFA will be to see the new government drive forward the recommendations from the Rock Review into agricultural tenancies, including continued support for the Farm Tenancy Forum, a new tenant farming commissioner and the implementation of the legislative and taxation recommendations of the review.

Land agents’ views

Dr Jason Bedeel, rural research director at land agents Strutt & Parker, said he did not expect large-scale changes to farm policy and agri-environment schemes from Labour, adding that the party had also stated it has no plans to change agricultural property relief on farmland.

But Carter Jonas warned Labour’s election win could herald an era of significant change for farmers and landowners, adding that there is “little evidence in Labour’s manifesto that agriculture is seen as a priority”.