The NFU officeholder team, our external affairs team in Westminster and policy and food and farming experts are making sure all politicians know the importance of our industry and the big issues that must be addressed.
And you can play your part.
Here are the NFU’s top 10 tips to getting your voice heard at the 2017 General Election.
Find your candidates
Find your local candidates at whocanivotefor.co.uk and make sure they understand the importance of British farming and the challenges the sector faces. Alternatively, give your regional office or the NFU external affairs team a call and they will be happy to discuss it with you. Get contact details for the NFU in your area here.
Host an on-farm meeting
The best way to help candidates understand the big issues in farming is to show them how your farm is impacted. Your local NFU office can offer advice and support on how to set this up.
Hit the campaign trail
Remember no meeting is a waste of time! If you are not able to invite candidates to your farm, look for opportunities to ask your candidates questions while they are on the campaign trail. Nothing beats a face-to-face conversation.
Attend an NFU Hustings
Your county adviser can tell you about the closest hustings to you. This will give you the chance to put your questions directly to your candidates.
Put up a Back British Farming banner
More than 400 NFU members are already displaying banners in prominent positions in their fields. If your land faces a lot of traffic or has a high footfall, speak to your local NFU office about displaying a banner.
Use Social Media
Amplify the NFU’s voice on social media by retweeting @NFUtweets or @NFUpolitical. Strike up a conversation with your candidates on Twitter using the hashtag #BackBritishFarming and share links to the General Election pages and NFU Manifesto on NFUonline.com.
Play the long game
Keep a record of who you met. Unsuccessful candidates can often pop back up so keep the details of who you met so you can influence the next influx of MPs. Who can predict when another snap General Election could be called?!
Feedback
Get in touch with your county adviser to discuss how the meeting went and where the NFU can follow up.
Open Farm Sunday
Once the new government is formed the NFU will keep the pressure on to make sure farming remains a priority. You can help raise the profile of British farming by getting involved in Open Farm Sunday on 11 June. Find out more at farmsunday.org
Register to vote
And of course, don’t forget to register! Your last chance to make sure you have a vote is 22 May. Contact your local council to check you are on the electoral roll.
