Farm groups voice concerns over UK agriculture budget
The call comes ahead of UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves' statement at lunchtime today (Wednesday, June 11), which will outline all departmental finances from 2027-2030, including the agriculture budget.
On the eve of the spending review, a CLA poll of nearly 500 farmers found that the majority would abandon nature-friendly practices and revert to intensive methods if government funding is cut.
The main findings of the poll of 460 members included:
88% say they will have to revert to intensive farming if funding is pulled for Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Countryside Stewardship (CS) schemes;
95% say they will reduce the amount of land managed for the environment;
98% say that Labour does not understand or respect rural communities;
99% don't trust Labour to make decisions that benefit their business;
76% say they are not in a position to fully fund the land management actions in their SFI/CS agreements by themselves.
The CLA and groups including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), National Trust, Soil Association, and the Nature Friendly Farming Network have also sent a joint letter to farming minister Daniel Zeichner outlining the impact a reduced budget will have on nature.
The letter outlines how the organisations are 'deeply concerned about the rumoured cuts to the agricultural budget in the upcoming spending review'.
It warns that any reduction in the budget will be 'catastrophic' to the government's aims.
'Many of the environmental features present in the countryside and enjoyed by the public will be under threat and will disappear. This would be a poor legacy for this government,' the letter states.
Agriculture budget
CLA president Victoria Vyvyan said that 'if funding for sustainable farming schemes is cut, government won't just abandon nature – it will abandon its word'.
'The Sustainable Farming Incentive is working – for farmers, for nature, for the public, and for the Treasury.
'It's bringing back wildlife, cleaning up rivers, and restoring the health of our soil.
'Take that funding away, and farmers will be pushed back to intensive methods – forced to undo years of progress. Nature will suffer as well as farmers, and on the environment, it will go against everything government claims to agree with,' she added.
James Cameron, a farmer based in East Kennett, Wiltshire, explained that since entering these schemes, his farm has become 'a haven for nature'.
'What was once arable land, is now species-rich grassland. Red-listed birds, butterflies and bees have all returned in full force. What we've been able to build is magical.
'But now, all of that could vanish. Our entire financial model depends on this scheme. If funding is cut, it will be disastrous.
'We can't afford to fund all this work ourselves, and the private sector simply isn't there yet. We may have no choice but to re-adopt intensive farming practices just to stay afloat.
'Farming is already an uncertain enough business. We need a government that brings stability, not one that plays policy roulette and makes it impossible to operate at every turn,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘If you prick us, do we not bleed?': UK government minister Chris Bryant reflects on new revealing autobiography
Chris Bryant, a UK government minister and author of a revealing new autobiography, ponders how he copes with adversity as we share an incongruous summer's day curry in a deserted Westminster. 'I have a degree of emotional resilience. I just do – I don't know where it comes from,' says the Welshman (63). He needed it, judging by some of the things he has endured. An unhappy home life as a youngster; sexual abuse by a trusted mentor; relentless scrutiny when as an Oxford-educated, gay former Anglican priest he ran for parliament in the flinty toughness of the valleys of south Wales . The chronology of Bryant's startling new book, A Life and a Half, ends at that point in 2001 when he was elected Labour MP for the constituency of Rhondda (now Rhondda and Ogmore). But the challenges he was forced to surmount did not. READ MORE In 2003 he was ridiculed and almost buried beneath a deluge of homophobic judgment when tabloids published his profile picture from the Gaydar dating website. It was a snap of Bryant posing in his underwear while showing off his toned physique. It is the headwinds he has faced and his poise while striding through them that mark Bryant out In 2019 he was diagnosed with skin cancer and given a 40 per cent chance of surviving more than 12 months. Last year, the cancer returned after spreading to his lung. He is currently feeling well after further treatment. Bryant's achievements have also been numerous. Before his 24-year (so far) stint as an MP, he had a varied pic'n'mix of successful careers including political adviser, charity manager, BBC lobbyist and full-time author – A Life and a Half is his 12th book. Yet it is the headwinds he has faced and his poise while striding through them that mark Bryant out and have shaped perceptions of him. As resilient as he might be, there is also a vulnerability there that he doesn't flaunt, but which flickers just beneath the surface when he is prodded in a certain way. The combination of the recollection of what Croft did to him with the memory of his difficult relationship with his parents brings Bryant's patter, until then upbeat and cultivated, to a juddering halt I ask him about the sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of Michael Croft, the founder of the National Youth Theatre. He preyed on a teenage Bryant, who never spoke about it publicly – nor much in private – until the release of his book this summer. 'It is part of my story. For a long time I told nobody. I carried the shame all my life and when I first told anyone, I cried for ages,' says Bryant of the grim encounter, which he says made him feel like a '16-year-old whore'. Did he ever tell his mother or father? Bryant's mother was an alcoholic whose antics blighted his youth, while his father, Rees, was a cold, distant man who divorced Bryant's mother and from whom he remained estranged for decades. The combination of the recollection of what Croft did to him with the memory of his difficult relationship with his parents brings Bryant's patter, until then upbeat and cultivated, to a juddering halt. His eyes glisten and he appears to gulp for air. 'No,' he whispers, shaking his head. It appears to be all he can manage to confirm he hid his darkest secret from the two people to whom he should have been closest, but who appear to have failed him at times, enmeshed in their own flaws. Chris Bryant campaigns during the 2001 general election. Bryant insists the abuse did not destroy him and he 'refuses to be a victim' of Croft's. Up to six men with similar tales of abuse by the late former theatre boss – 'two of them much worse than mine' – have contacted Bryant since his revelation this month. Lots of people sent him 'lovely messages'. But predictably and depressingly, he was also set upon by trolls, 'random strangers who sent me messages that are utterly vile'. Bryant finished writing the book before last summer's election. Then followed a long editing process and a period of back-room scrutiny by government powers – normally a minister would not have been allowed to publish such a book, and it is likely he was only allowed to go ahead with it because he was contractually obliged. Bryant recently recorded the audiobook version. Reading it aloud, he said, made him feel like Narcissus, the Greek mythological figure who luxuriated in his own reflection (Bryant can produce a classical or literary reference to suit almost any moment). 'I was holding myself up to a mirror during the audiobook recording, more so than writing it. I realised the emotions I most often talk about are anger and guilt, with a little bit of shame thrown in. That was a bit of a revelation for me.' Chris Bryant quit as a priest in 1991 after four years. The book is filled with a litany of Bryant's eye-popping escapades as a gay man about town, including during his post-ordination period travelling around Latin America – he quit as a priest in 1991 after four years – and his early adulthood in London. 'There's quite a lot of shenanigans in there. My husband [Jared] had editing rights on anything related to sex and sexuality,' says Bryant. Your husband edits with a light touch, I suggest. Bryant's eyes twinkle and a facetious smiles creeps across his lips. Just before meeting for our curry, a questionable decision on a hot day, I contact one of Bryant's closest confidantes in politics, a fellow Welsh man who soldiered with him in parliament. The friend lauds Bryant as 'the closest thing we have to a public intellectual on the left in British parliamentary politics', suggesting he should be in cabinet. Bryant has ancestral roots in the McLeod family from the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. US president Donald Trump's mother was also a McLeod from Lewis This seems to delight Bryant, who is the UK Labour government's minister for a vast portfolio, including the creative industries and arts, tourism, data protection and telecoms. Does he feel he should be in cabinet? 'These are not judgments for me to make,' he says, with performative coyness. 'But I can assure you I have no desire to be prime minister.' Being forced to look after his alcoholic mother after his parents' divorce when he was a teenager turned Bryant into the person who always believed he could fix everything, the 'adult in the room'. Is this desire to fix things what drove him to be an MP? He agrees. 'Anger and powerlessness. They motivate me a lot, and that stems from my mum's relationship with alcohol. You feel powerless watching someone slowly killing themselves. You want to fix that.' Bryant has ancestral roots on his Scottish mother's side in the McLeod family from the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. US president Donald Trump's mother was also a McLeod from Lewis. Back in 2017 while in opposition, Bryant called for Trump to be banned from Britain. These days, as a minister, he sounds more diplomatic. 'I guess we're related,' he says. 'He's always welcome to invite me round.' Bryant remains an ardent Remainer, even though his working-class post-mining constituency voted Leave. He believes Britain went through a 'nervous breakdown' following the Brexit vote. Nigel Farage 's Reform UK party is now targeting Welsh constituencies such as Bryant's for its next wave of growth. Does the rise of Farage's party concern him? 'Any politician who refuses to take seriously the concerns of people who are thinking of voting Reform is an idiot,' says Bryant. 'The bit I don't like about politics is when it is all about manufacturing grievances. I can't be bothered with that.' His political rivals are probably scouring the 'shenanigans' in A Life and a Half for anything to throw at him in advance of the next election. Why did Bryant write such a revealing book when he is targeting another 10 years as an MP? He says he wanted to show that politicians 'have their own stories'. 'We're not all identikit politicians,' he says. He plucks yet another literary reference, this time from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice: 'I also wanted to show that if you prick us, do we not bleed?'
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Irish Independent
From the Kerry archives, August 18, 2000: Major Aer Lingus threat & thousands queue for Westlife tickets
Major threat to Tralee if Aer Lingus quits Kerry A decision by Aer Lingus to pull out of Kerry Airport would cripple Tralee's chances of attracting major industries in the future, Labour Deputy Dick Spring warned this week. It would also damage tourism and cut into the lucrative end of the market which uses the airport, he warned. "I don't believe you would have any prospect of major industry setting up in Tralee. Even though there is a lot of debate about connectivity and Internet access, company executives have still got to be able to travel," Deputy Spring said. He predicted Tralee's leading industry, Kerry Group, would suffer if the flights were cancelled. "It will put enormous pressure on companies like Kerry Group to operate out of Tralee. We have all been very proud of the fact that we have a world headquarters in Tralee," Deputy Spring said. Aer Lingus is considering whether to continue operating the twice daily return flight from Kerry to Dublin. The service receives a State subsidy, which will be extended to provide for three daily return flights next year. Kerry's road and rail infrastructure is already poor, Deputy Spring said, but the situation would be compounded without a daily service to Dublin. "Our national roads are not going to be brought up to standard for another five years, so this would be a definite blow to any prospects we had of attracting major industry," he said. There is also a danger for tourism, particularly in terms of the upper end of the market and weekend holidays. "The discerning tourist is now looking for airport access right in the location. You are not going to get tourists flying into Dublin and taking the train or coach down to Tralee," Deputy Spring said. Golfing holidays in Kerry, increasingly popular, would also be hit. Even though Aer Arann has expressed an interest in operating the service, the company is unlikely to be able to offer the same capacity as Aer Lingus. There are already problems with capacity on the route, with Aer Lingus operating a smaller propeller driven craft on the lunchtime service. "There are 19 people on the waiting list for the lunchtime flight this Friday. You won't get a flight up to Dublin at midday without hooking about two weeks in advance," Deputy Spring said. "I know from experience that trying to get people on that flight is extremely difficult," he said, adding that any successor to Aer Lingus should be required to provide at least the same capacity. Former Fine Gael UDC councillor Jim Finucane said a withdrawal would have very serious consequences for Tralee, while party colleague Deputy Jimmy Deenihan said no other airline could provide the same standard of service as Aer Lingus. Thousands queue for coveted Westlife tickets The young teenager had been queueing since 6.30am that morning to get one of the coveted free tickets for the Rose of Tralee Westlife concert. She had spent hours on her feet, standing outside Lee Records at The Mall, braving the heat and all the pushing and shoving that ensued. Then at four o'clock, when Brian Harty of the Rose of Tralee Events committee began distributing the tickets to the masses, she was at the very top of the line. Minutes later, tickets in her fist and a broad smile on her face, she emerged triumphant out on the street. "I'm delighted. It's fantastic. Well worth the wait," she said. But when The Kerryman asked her her name for the purpose of an article on the queueing Westlife fans, her demeanour changed rapidly. "I'm not giving you my name! No way! Please don't put my name in the paper. I'll never live it down!" she shrieked. And no way would she move, until she had actually witnessed this reporter scratching out her comments from the notebook. In a calmer mood a few minutes later, she added: "I'm not really into Westlife at all." One shudders to imagine how long she would have been prepared to queue for tickets for a band she REALLY liked… Thankfully, not everyone outside Lee Records last Thursday afternoon was afraid to 'come out' about liking Westlife. Mary, Laura, Irene and Jackie Lynch, all from Doon, Tralee were queueing from the crack of dawn also, and said they were 'thrilled' to get tickets and were really looking forward to the concert. Ciara Culloty, age nine, from Alderwood Road, was also delighted to get one and added that she was counting the days until August 20. Sharon Hurley, age 13 and from Boherbee, Tralee commented: "It's fantastic that they're coming to Tralee. I'm a big fan. I'm queueing since 2.15pm." Madge Clifford from O'Regan Place, Tralee was one of the exhausted mothers who stood in line for hours so her 14-year-old daughter Ashling could get a ticket. "I'm delighted I got one for her but I'm exhausted. I hope it will be worth it," she laughed. Marion Devine from Marian Park was delighted to get a ticket for her daughter Sinead, age 10. Marion started queueing outside Lee Records shortly after 2pm. Sinead said she liked all the guys in Westlife, but didn't have a particular favourite. Margaret O'Connor of Leith West, Tralee, got tickets for her sons James, age 10, and David, age 14. "Westlife are a lovely group with a lovely clean image," she said. "I got here at about 2.10pm and I was waiting a long time, but it was worth it. It was nice to get the tickets for free." Fifteen-year-old Laura Crean from Racecourse Lawn agreed that it was 'definitely worth' the wait. She will be heading to the concert on Sunday night along with her sisters Jenny and Margaret. "This has been really exciting," she said. Yvonne O'Keeffe from Killerisk Close queued up to get a ticket for her daughter Yvonne, who is ten. Claire O'Sullivan from Manor village was one of the lucky ones who got one of the very last tickets distributed at Lee Records that afternoon—but her friends Elaine Horgan and Nicole Kelliher were just seconds too late. The funniest sight of the afternoon was an English tourist who walked into the shop in the middle of all the commotion when the tickets ran out. About three different people told her: "They're all gone. They're definitely all gone." Bewildered, she said: "But I only came in to buy a CD!"
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Disturbing rise in racist attacks must be met with decisive action from Government – Ireland should be safe for everyone
The time for platitudes has passed, the time for action is now SUNDAY ISSUE Disturbing rise in racist attacks must be met with decisive action from Government – Ireland should be safe for everyone MICHAEL D Higgins this week blasted the 'despicable' wave of attacks on members of the Indian community in Ireland. The President hit out following a spate of recent racially-motivated assaults, which have prompted safety fears. 4 Representatives of the Indian community in Ireland have asked for a cross-departmental taskforce to address the attacks Credit: � 2025 PA Media, All Rights Reserved 4 Michael D Higgins blasted the 'despicable' wave of attacks on members of the Indian community in Ireland Credit: PA:Press Association 4 Labour senator Laura Harmon Credit: Collect On Monday, the Ireland India Council announced it will not go ahead with the India Day festival at Farmleigh in the Phoenix Park today because of safety concerns. Hundreds of performers had been preparing for the event. Co-chairman of the Ireland India Council, Prashant Shukla, admitted making the decision was 'very difficult', but that the safety and security of the community was more important. The issue has been highlighted after an Indian man was the victim of an unprovoked attack while walking to a Hindu temple in Tallaght, Dublin, last month. A silent vigil was held outside the Department of Justice by Friends Of India in response — with the Indian Embassy warning of a rise in attacks. Labour senator Laura Harmon today calls on the Justice Minister to act now. THE disturbing rise in racist attacks on Ireland's Indian community must be met with decisive action from Government. Yet, as each new report of violence emerges, the silence from our Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan, grows more deafening. In recent weeks, the scale and frequency of these incidents have been truly alarming. Every new day seems to bring another report of an assault or attempted assault on someone simply because of the colour of their skin. Last week, we even heard of a child being assaulted for that very reason. We cannot continue to look away. We cannot allow these crimes to become so frequent that they are normalised. Our President, Michael D. Higgins, was right to speak out. He condemned these attacks as being in 'stark contradiction to the values that we as people hold dear'. Those words should be a rallying cry for action. They reflect the Ireland we strive for: a country that treats all who live here with dignity and respect, no matter their heritage. It is telling that the strongest moral leadership in this moment is coming from Aras an Uachtarain — not from the Department of Justice. In my own community, I have been contacted by people originally from India who are deeply worried about their safety. These are neighbours, colleagues and friends who contribute enormously to the life of our towns and cities. Out of shared concern, we worked together to create a local group to offer mutual support, share information, and stand united in the face of intimidation and violence. That such a step is necessary in Ireland in 2025 should be cause for national reflection — and national action. OUR GOVERNMENT IS FAILING It is deeply shameful that the Indian Embassy has felt the need to issue a public warning advising Indian citizens and Irish-Indians in Ireland to take extra precautions for their safety. That such advice is even necessary in a country that proudly greets visitors with 'Céad Míle Fáilte' should unsettle us all to our core. If this is the image we are projecting to the world, then our Government is failing in its most basic duty — to keep all who live here safe. Jim O'Callaghan must now break his silence. He must strongly condemn these attacks, and more importantly, set out in detail what concrete measures he will take to address them. That means ensuring Gardai have the resources and training needed to respond quickly and effectively to racist crime, improving community outreach, and guaranteeing that victims have clear, accessible routes to justice. TIME FOR ACTION We need public awareness campaigns to counter the toxic narratives fuelling these attacks. And we need visible, high-profile political leadership that sends the message that racism will not be tolerated anywhere — from anyone. Earlier this month I held a roundtable discussion in Cork about the rise of racism on the ground. I was struck by the contributions from the Indian, Pakistani, Sikh, Romanian, Mexican, African, and Nepalese communities. I'm grateful for their engagement and will continue to advocate for them, together with my Labour colleagues. We cannot afford to wait for another headline-grabbing attack before the minister acts. The stakes are too high. This is not just about protecting one community — it is about protecting the very values we claim as a nation. If we fail to confront this wave of hate now, we risk allowing prejudice and violence to fester, spread, and undermine the fabric of our society. Ireland must be a place where everyone — no matter their skin colour or country of birth — can walk our streets without fear. The time for platitudes has passed. The time for action is now.
