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Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of abandoning Britain’s farmers after a recent report disclosed that Labour has not fulfilled its manifesto commitment to support locally sourced food.
Prior to the general election, Labour vowed that half of all food acquired by the public sector would be “locally produced or certified to higher environmental standards.” With public sector expenditure estimated at £5 billion annually on food, the promise was heralded as a potential multibillion-pound lifeline for farmers.
Nevertheless, data acquired by the Countryside Alliance reveals that only two government departments currently obtain a majority of their food from Britain: the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (80%) and the Department of Health and Social Care (72%). Other departments either failed to log figures or conceded that they had no policies centered on prioritizing British-grown produce.
The outcomes emerge amid widespread dissatisfaction within the farming community. Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s inheritance tax reform last year, which curtailed reliefs accessible to family farms, led to a record 3,175 closures and sparked tractor protests in Westminster. Farmers, still reeling from those policies, now perceive the unmet food pledge as another act of betrayal.
Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform UK, stated: “After imposing an unjust and detrimental inheritance tax on British farms, it’s no shock that Labour continues their betrayal of UK food producers. It’s almost as if they are attempting to extinguish the sector entirely.”
Victoria Atkins, the Conservative shadow environment secretary, remarked that the government was “quietly shelving every commitment it made to rural Britain,” cautioning that farmers faced “their most challenging harvest” while costs continue to escalate.
Gareth Wyn Jones, a sheep farmer and advocate in Conwy, dubbed the neglect of British produce “a total catastrophe.” He warned that the nation was “sleepwalking into food shortages” unless further support was provided to domestic agriculture.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) echoed the criticism, with deputy president David Exwood labeling progress on sourcing British-grown food as “disheartening.” He stated: “Public procurement should be a robust tool to support domestic food production, yet progress remains sluggish. Farmers produce top-quality food to some of the world’s leading standards, and backing their efforts is crucial for the UK’s resilience and food security.”
Despite Labour’s manifesto asserting that “food security is national security,” several departments — including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs — indicated that current “buying standards for food and catering” did not mandate them to source locally.
The government has defended its performance, asserting that its new National Procurement Policy Statement and Procurement Act would create more opportunities for farmers to compete for public-sector catering contracts.
A government representative commented: “Our commitment to farmers and food producers remains unwavering. We want our farmers to be well positioned to compete for a fair share of the £5bn allocated to public-sector catering contracts each year.”
The matter is fueling growing disenchantment with Labour in rural constituencies. Polling indicates that the percentage of countryside voters who believe the party “does not comprehend rural Britain” has doubled since the election. Reform UK is now targeting disillusioned voters, pledging to increase the farming budget to £3bn and eliminate climate-associated subsidies.
Analysts also caution that the repercussions of climate change are aggravating the crisis. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has forecasted one of the UK’s worst harvests in decades following a summer of drought.
Tom Lancaster, an analyst at the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit, remarked that farmers urgently require more assistance to adjust to “extreme, record-breaking weather,” while simultaneously investing in healthier soils and resilience measures.
For now, however, farmers assert that they are left with promises, not fulfillment. David Bean, author of the Countryside Alliance report, stated: “In the face of economic uncertainty, and with a barrage of other government policies complicating their livelihoods, British farmers deserve more than mere platitudes. They require significant, measurable action.”
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