Industry challenges top of the agenda at NFU's Liberal Democrat reception
A room of more than 100 delegates heard from NFU Deputy President and Efra Committee Chair Alistair Carmichael.
The NFU brought farming's priorities to the heart of the Liberal Democrat Conference, with Deputy President Paul Tompkins highlighting campaign successes, discussing the sector's biggest challenges and setting out a positive vision for the future of British agriculture.
As with all other major English party conferences, the NFU hosted its now well-known Great British Breakfast event for MPs, councillors and delegates at the Liberal Democrat party conference in Brighton.
Speaking to an audience of more than 100 reception attendees, including dozens of Liberal Democrat MPs, NFU Deputy President Paul Tompkins discussed how the party had worked together with the NFU on opposing the family farm tax and securing a rise in the threshold from £1m to £2.5m. Paul thanked the party for raising the profile of issues like bluetongue in Parliament.
Despite these wins, Paul highlighted the need to give the farming industry confidence following a year blighted by unprecedented drought, spiralling input costs as a result of the conflict in the Middle East, and the spread of bluetongue disease .
On this, Paul told the room about the NFU’s Keep Britain Growing Loan, which is designed to give farm businesses the money necessary to keep them producing food – and the necessary confidence to invest in their businesses to prepare for next year.
Power of the NFU
Efra Committee Chair Alistair Carmichael also spoke at the event and praised the work and convening power of the NFU, noting how just how many Liberal Democrat MPs, councillors and party members had chosen to attend the NFU event.
Like Paul, Alistair raised the challenges facing the sector and committed his party to continuing to work with farmers and the industry to ensure the best possible, most profitable and most sustainable future possible, noting the risks of falling self-sufficiency at an acutely volatile time in geopolitics.
Contribution of farmers to their communities
Paul and Alistair both spoke passionately about how this summer has shown the importance of farmers in their local communities.
Both raised how across the country, farmers have stepped up to help combat devastating wildfires, in the process, protecting the rural communities and towns and villages that were threatened by wildfires.
Opportunities for local government
Addressing the audience, Paul explained that with the Liberal Democrats now holding councils across the country, they now had the ability to use their public procurement and planning powers to help deliver a profitable and successful farming industry in the UK.
Meeting policy leads
As well as hosting the NFU’s reception, Paul met with the rural policy leads in the Liberal Democrats ahead of the party finalising its next General Election manifesto.
Meeting rural affairs spokesperson Sarah Dyke MP (Lib Dem, Glastonbury and Somerton), Paul addressed the challenges facing the horticulture sector as well as the spread of bluetongue disease and bTB. Sarah pledged to working together with the NFU where possible to achieve the best outcome for farmers and growers.
Paul also met with the Liberal Democrat’s policy team, receiving insight about how the party writes, approves and publicises its manifesto policies, and understanding the party’s position on a range of rural affairs issues.
Also at the event were NFU East Regional Board Chair Caroline Harriot, NFU East Livestock Board Chair Hugh Broom and NFU East Sussex Chair Martin Hole.
Notable delegate names included member of the NFU Food and Farming Fellowship scheme John Milne MP (Liberal Democrat, Horsham) and former vet Danny Chambers MP (Liberal Democrat, Winchester).
