NFU elections 2024: Who are the early contenders?

Potential candidates are starting to emerge for the three top officeholder positions which will be hotly contested at the upcoming NFU presidential elections.

The posts of president, deputy president and vice-president will be available at the elections, with voting to take place at the NFU Conference in Birmingham next February.

See also: Exclusive: Batters apologises to NFU members over Red Tractor debacle

A series of NFU regional election hustings will begin in mid-January.

After 10 years as an officeholder, Wiltshire tenant farmer Minette Batters, the first female president of the NFU, will end her presidency in February.

Essex arable farmer and current deputy president Tom Bradshaw is widely tipped to run for president, but it remains to be seen if he will be given a clear run.

Meanwhile, several other candidates have emerged who may be in the running for the deputy and vice-president roles.

Vice-president David Exwood will face strong competition for his current role, but he may be seeking to move up the ranks himself.

Number of candidates

Farmers Weekly understands a number of candidates will put themselves forward for both posts, if they are nominated and receive the support of NFU Council.

West Midlands dairy farmer Michael Oakes said he plans to contest the deputy and vice-president positions if nominated.

Father-of-two Mr Oakes, a tenant dairy farmer based just outside Birmingham milking a closed herd of 180 pedigree Holsteins, is standing down from his role as NFU Dairy Board chairman after eight years.

“I definitely feel the officeholder team could benefit from having an active member with a big livestock interest,” he said.

“The livestock sector, whether that’s dairy, beef or sheep, is a huge part of the farming industry, both in England and Wales, and having that livestock view on the team would add another dimension to it.”

Mr Oakes says he is very accessible, is very close to the membership and is in constant dialogue with other farmer members about the challenges the industry faces.

On the recent Red Tractor controversy, Mr Oakes says he supported the resolution from the NFU Midlands region, seeking an independent review of governance at Red Tractor after it launched a “bolt-on” environmental module to its existing farm assurance schemes.

“I think the two ‘critical’ reviews into how farm assurance schemes work in England and Wales will leave no stone unturned,” he added.

“We’ve got to get Red Tractor in a better place. They have not been listening to us [NFU] either and have been burying their heads in the sand.”

Lincolnshire farmer mulls options

Lincolnshire arable farmer Andrew Ward is also considering running for one of the top three roles.

“I’m a council delegate at the moment and I’m conscious that the NFU needs members’ views to be taken into account and strong leadership,” he told Farmers Weekly.

Mr Ward said: “I’m a firm believer that Red Tractor needs a complete restructure and I’m not sure whether it is fit for purpose anymore.

“If the reviews find the Red Tractor has drifted so far from its original aims, I would not be against doing something different.

“The British Retail Consortium has too much sway over the whole situation.”

Mr Ward said he would also be determined to lobby government for change at the Environment Agency, including more priority and funding allocated towards how it manages waterways to prevent land and properties from flooding.

Farmers Weekly understands other farmers who could contest the top jobs include Herefordshire farmer Martin Williams, Lancashire farmer Thomas Binns, Hampshire farmer Matt Culley, Yorkshire farmer Rachel Hallos and Merseyside grower Olly Harrison.