Newbury MP Lee Dillon gives his backing to British farming

A celebration of farming was given a seal of approval from Newbury’s MP.

The National Union of Farmers held its annual Back British Farming event yesterday (Wednesday, September 11), with the aim of celebrating the work of farmers, growers and the food sector.

More than 500,000 people took part in the event, including 45,000 union members.

They highlighted some of the achievements of the sector, including making more than 700 different types of cheese, and producing more than two billion portions of frozen peas every year.

The UK is also home to more than 60 breeds of sheep, and farmers manage 71% of the nation’s landscape.

Liberal Democrat Lee Dillon, who was recently elected as Newbury’s new MP, said he was a proud participant in the NFU Fellowship Scheme, and understood some of the challenges that farmers face.

He wanted to see more policies in place to support their work and vowed to work closely with farmers to better understand their needs and champion sustainable farming practices that protect the environment and strengthen economies.

And with one eye on West Berkshire’s rural communities, he said he would be a strong voice for farmers, calling for fairer treatment and better support.

“British farmers are the backbone of our rural communities, and it’s clear they were neglected by the last Conservative Government,” he said.

“As Newbury’s MP, I’m committed to standing up for our farmers, ensuring they get the fair deal they deserve.

“The previous government’s failure to properly support our local farmers – through inadequate trade deals and insufficient funding – has put undue pressure on our agricultural community.

“The new government must act swiftly to correct these wrongs.”

He said had his party been elected, things would be different, with their policies including a call to renegotiate trade deals agreed with Australian and New Zealand governments, so that British farming standards are protected.

“Liberal Democrats are committed to backing British farmers,” he continued.

“We called for an additional £1 billion a year to fund farming initiatives during the General Election, and I will continue to hold the government accountable.”