Tractor rally due to head to Westminster to sound alarm on British farming

This Monday, from 5.30pm, farmers and supporters from the UK will awaken Westminster and sound the alarm on the ever-increasing difficulties faced by the British farming industry, leaving our food security in peril.

In Westminster, farmers will assemble for a tractor “go slow” convoy/demo and drive around Westminster for 2 hours.

Campaign ‘Save British Farming’ is warning the Agriculture Act 2020, together with the poor trade deals negotiated by Boris Johnson and Liz Truss and non-existent import controls have exposed Britain to a farming, food security and public health crisis.

Save British Farming has launched a petition with campaign group Open Britain and are urging people to sign and support the campaign

Founder of campaign group Save British Farming Liz Webster, said: “Farming is fraught with risks: risks that have intensified every year with the climate emergency, Ukraine war and Brexit reality which have only served to exacerbate problems. Rishi Sunak loves to use gimmicky campaign slogans about British farming when elections loom and he needs votes, but, in truth, his Government have shown us they just don’t care about British farming or food. They want to leave us reliant on food imports which are bad for public health, the environment, animal welfare and exacerbate the climate crisis.

“In 2019, this government was elected with a mandate to uphold our standards and deliver a ready-made deal with the EU which would see British agriculture boom. It is now entirely obvious that they have totally betrayed us all. Polling shows that the public back British farming and food and want to maintain our high food standards and support local producers. We need a radical change of policy and an urgent exit from these appalling trade

deals which will decimate British food.”

Jeff Gibson, founder of Kent Fairness For Farmers said: “As a farmer and one of the organisers of fairness for farmers protest/rallies in Kent I feel very proud of the country’s support towards Monday’s rally in London

“Now that we have joined forces with Liz Webster and Save British farming I feel our message is getting out and being heard loud and clear. It’s so important that our message about substandard imports, dishonest labelling and concerns for food security is heard. With an election looming, we want to ensure the next incoming government takes up our cause.

“R G Gibson will have 3 tractors in Westminster square on Monday together with our wives and children on foot showing their support for our industry we hope that the public of London will come out onto the streets to show their support too.

"We as British farmers take great pride in feeding our nation with the safest food in the world all we ask is that our children are the given the opportunity to do the same but sadly if things stay the same it is highly unlikely.”

Geoffrey Philpott, a cauliflower farmer in East Kent, is bringing 3 tractors to the rally said: “My aim is to produce the highest quality, safest healthiest food for the UK market. We should be banning substandard imports that aren’t held to the same high standards as UK production. In many cases they are produced using methods and chemicals that are banned in the UK.

“I am proud to have a Union Jack on all my produce, but why is it foreign produce that is packed in the UK can have a Union Jack on it? The only reason is to deceive the public into believing it’s the healthiest and safest food you can buy!

“Food security is another top issue. I hope to be farming for many years to come, but if things don’t change, I won’t be and I won’t be employing the fourteen people who work for me. Then we will be reliant on foreign produce that will not have the high standard of UK production. Once that happens, we could be held to ransom over supply and pricing. I hope MPs and civil servants wake up quickly and support British agriculture so I can continue to farm for many years to come and supply healthy, safe produce for UK people.”

Matt Cullen, a beef farmer and contractor from east Kent, said: “I’m going to london on Monday the 25th with my tractor, to raise the awareness of UK food security which I am really worried about and the future of farming as a farmer!

“It’s now time that farmers across the uk come together on Monday to ensure that the Government will listen to us and there are more of us, then there are of them!”

David Catt: Veg grower & Wholesaler , Maidstone said, “After the fabulous success of our fairness for farmers rally in Canterbury we are taking our message to parliament. The public support for our cause was eye watering. Seeing fully grown farmers with tears in their eyes was a sight to behold .

“We are calling for: A stop to substandard imports! Honesty in labelling of non uk products! To protect and strengthen our weakening food security!”