Lord Plumb has been a member of the House of Lords for more than 30 years. He was elected to the role of NFU Vice President at the age of 38, and was subsequently NFU President for almost 10 years. He was also the first, and only, British President of the European Parliament.
NFU President Meurig Raymond said: “Lord Plumb’s CV says it all. A career in British agriculture and politics that has spanned 78 years including being the longest serving NFU President of nearly 10 years, the first (and now only) British President of the European Parliament and member of the House of Lords for over 30 years.
“Throughout his life, Henry’s two abiding interests have been farming and Europe. As a farmer’s son and devoted stockman, farming was always in his blood. Interest in European cooperation came to him when as a young boy he watched Coventry in flames from the fields of his father’s farm.
“It is poignant that his valedictory speech to the House of Lords concerns British farming and Brexit. Henry has considerable concerns about the way things are going and it is a fair bet that his satisfaction at the close of a distinguished political career will be tinged with sadness. I wish him well in retirement.”