MPs debate food security and future agricultural budget

MPs have clashed at Westminster over the challenges faced by British farmers due to wet weather, rising costs and growing uncertainty around the future agricultural budget.

The Conservatives tabled an opposition day debate in the House of Commons about farming and food security, to pressure the new Labour government to reveal further details on its plans for the farming sector.

Sir Keir Starmer’s government has promised a “new deal” for UK farming, but is coming under increasing pressure from opposition parties and industry to explain how it will back British farmers.

See also: Government must act now to tackle food security, NFU says

During the debate on Tuesday (8 October), shadow Defra secretary Steve Barclay challenged the government to commit to five key areas to “show that they care about food security”.

This included a commitment to pay in full money allocated by the previous government – including an additional £50m for flood-hit farmers, £75m of support for internal drainage boards, and £220m allocated for technology and productivity.

Mr Barclay said the government must confirm there would be no cuts to the farming budget, including the £2.6bn allocated to England for this year.

Finally, he said Labour must continue to host the annual Farm to Fork summit at 10 Downing Street, publish the annual food security index and appoint a new tenant farming commissioner.

Spending review

In response, Defra secretary Steve Reed said farmers would have to wait until the conclusion of the spending review and Budget on 30 October to find out his government’s funding plans for agriculture.

Mr Reed said farmers had been “badly let down” by the previous government, which “offered only sticking plasters to deal with the great challenges faced by British farming”.

He said: “This government will work with farmers to help them transition to new farming methods that are more sustainable both financially and environmentally.

“We will reduce the soaring energy prices that have hit so many food producers so hard.

“There will be no more dodgy trade deals that undermine British farmers. This will be a government on the side of Britain’s farmers.”

Brexit ‘benefits’

Liberal Democrat agriculture spokesman Tim Farron suggested that the Environmental Land Management scheme, devised by then minister Michael Gove to replace the EU’s CAP, was one of the few Brexit “benefits”.

But he criticised the Conservatives’ “botched” handling of the transition away from the CAP, which was underspent by £358m over three years.

Mr Farron urged Mr Reed to “fight your corner” to ensure the Treasury did not “take financial advantage of Tory incompetence” and reduce the farming budget.

“Without that public money we will not get those public goods,” he warned.