Seema is the Member of Parliament for South Ribble, a constituency where the majority of the fifteen NFU growers, who attended the meeting, operate horticultural businesses.
Emily Roads, NFU’s horticulture and potatoes adviser, said: “The growers did an excellent job illustrating the issues, including the lack of certainty for EU nationals who do not feel secure and are unclear as to their rights. These people are worried about government changing their position again. The North West growers also raised the impact on business planning, crop wastages and the importance of returnees and the skills.”
Key issues the NFU raised with Seema Kennedy:
- If we get a deal the new points based immigration system (PBS) will not come into force until mid-2021.
- The PBS could include manual skills such as those required in horticulture.
- The expansion of the pilot is still in discussion. Seema herself said if it was up to her she would say yes, but they are waiting for the Home Secretary to give the green light. Seema also stated that the NFU and the Home Office need to discuss numbers as we are currently still quite far apart in what these numbers should be.
- Seema will look at how to communicate any developments to EU nationals.