This blog is based on the full piece, written by George Dunn, TFA Chief Executive, for The East Anglian Daily Times, published on 29 June 2024.
The work of the new Government will begin almost immediately the day after the polling stations close. The first 100 days of a new Government is always something of great interest to political pundits and others. Unfortunately for the previous MP for South West Norfolk, Liz Truss, that was not a benchmark that she was able to reach. However, assuming that the newly elected Prime Minister can make it at least to the 100-day mark, what are the early things that we should be looking for them to achieve in respect of the impact on the agricultural industry?
One of the early decisions that the new Prime Minister will make is to appoint a new Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs. Although the current incumbent, the Rt Honourable Steve Barclay, has only been in post for a short period of time, he has proved to be a very effective operator. He has certainly driven through several positive policies and initiatives for the sector more efficiently and effectively than his immediate predecessor, the previous MP for Suffolk coastal, the Rt Hon Thérèse Coffey. This points to the fact that the personality and drive of the individual appointed as Secretary of State is often more important than their political affiliation. It is hoped that we will have a senior figure within the governing party who has both the passion and the desire to drive the farming industry forward.
Secondly, the tenant farmers Association will be looking to the new administration to immediately restart work on the implementation of the recommendations from the Rock Review into agricultural tenancies. One of the last decisions made by the current Conservative administration before announcing the general election was that a New Commissioner for the Tenant Farming Sector would be established in the autumn. One wonders whether the Prime Minister already had in mind that there would be a General Election before that would come to fruition when he announced it at his Farm to Fork Summit a few days prior to his famous Downing Street speech in the rain. Nevertheless, with seemingly cross-party support for the idea this should be an easy win for the next Prime Minister.
Thirdly, with the announcement of the opening of the Sustainable Farming Incentive/Countryside Stewardship extended offer just as Parliament was being prorogued, there is much work to be done to ensure that this is both fit for purpose and understood by the farming community to enable a good level of participation. Given Civil Service rules, all engagement on this flagship policy had to be put on hold whilst the General Election was underway. That engagement both with stakeholders and with the wider farming community must start quickly once the new Government gets to work.
Finally, the industry will be looking to the new Government to set the right tone in balancing the needs of food, environmental and energy security. We are currently losing too much of our prime agricultural land to vanity rewilding projects and too many tenanted acres to solar energy schemes. Rewilding will not deliver the environmental outcomes desired and will do major damage to food security and the resilience of farm businesses. Solar energy should be taking a rooftop first approach before utilising agricultural land, and where tenants are displaced, they need to be more fairly compensated than they are today.
