Labour needs to back up its words with action: Invest in resources for change
The tendency of those in power to blame their predecessors for current challenges is a common trait in government. Former Prime Minister Liz Truss famously blamed the country’s economic woes on the previous Labour government, even though they had been out of power for 13 years. Now, the new leaders in Westminster are following suit, pointing to a £22bn “black hole” in the public finances left by the outgoing Conservatives.
The recent Farming and Countryside Programme report by Defra revealed a significant underspend of £130m on agriculture by the Conservatives in 2023-24. This adds to the £103m underspend in 2022-23 and the £125m in 2021-22, totaling a massive £358m that is sitting unused in Defra’s coffers. This money, primarily from cuts to the Basic Payment Scheme, has not been returned to farmers as promised.
The NFU and Labour ministers have rightfully criticized the Conservatives for failing to deliver on their promises to farmers. However, the current government’s performance since taking office has been lackluster. The rollout of the extended SFI and the Farming Recovery Fund has been plagued with delays and lack of transparency.
Farmers are still waiting for answers on what happened to the £50m Farming Recovery Fund and the reported £100m clawback by the Treasury. The lack of clarity from Defra does not inspire confidence among farmers who are facing numerous challenges.
Labour’s rhetoric about optimizing ELM schemes and boosting national food security must be backed up with action and a bigger budget. The £358m underspend should be retained by Defra to support the agricultural industry, rather than being returned to the Treasury.
It is time for Labour to show its commitment to farmers through concrete actions and financial support. The industry needs a secure budget to achieve the government’s goals, and the underspend should be used for the benefit of farmers, not to fill the Treasury’s coffers.
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Maria Sanchez completed her Bachelor’s degree in Plant Sciences from the University of California, Davis, in the USA. Her studies focused on plant genetics and biotechnology, with an emphasis on developing disease-resistant crop varieties. Maria has contributed to several research projects aimed at improving crop resilience to climate change and is now pursuing her Master’s degree in Plant Breeding.