THE Labour Party, in its election manifesto, has committed to moving 15 per cent of CAP money to pillar 2.
Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Maria Eagle said in a speech at the RSPB’s head office in Bedfordshire: “If we are elected, we will move to a full 15 per cent of CAP money going to pillar 2 from 2017. No review. No rehearing of the arguments.”
NFU deputy president Minette Batters responded by saying: “We are sorry she has taken this approach.
“This country is, after all, an island nation and therefore needs a long-term strategy for food and farming. At the heart of that strategy lies future CAP reform and for a politician to announce a statement on CAP without consulting the farming sector shows that the Labour Party is out of touch with food produced in Britain.
“I would add that all political parties need to realise that Britain is slipping dangerously low on self-sufficiency. Hence we need a long-term food strategy along the lines of Ireland, Denmark and Holland.”
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