Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has thrown his support behind Welsh farmers embroiled in protests against controversial subsidy reforms proposed by the Labour Welsh government.
During a meeting with protesters outside the Welsh Conservative Conference in Llandudno on Friday, Mr. Sunak engaged directly with leading protester and farmer Gareth Wyn Jones and his fellow campaigners, assuring them of the Conservative government’s backing.
“We’re going to do everything we can because we’ve got your back,” said Mr. Sunak.
The protests in Wales are part of a burgeoning farmers’ movement across the UK, mirroring similar uprisings across Europe where farmers have taken a stand against policies they perceive as detrimental to their industry.
The British movement, galvanised partly through social media under the banner “No Farmers, No Food” (NFNF), has seen rapid growth, amassing over 58,000 followers on the X platform since its launch last month and gaining support from high-profile figures such as author Jordan Peterson and TV presenter Neil Oliver.
‘Simply Wrong’
On Friday, Mr. Sunak added: “It’s absolutely not right, the impact it will have on your jobs, your livelihoods, your incomes, and food production around the country. It’s simply wrong.
“Why are Welsh children being let down and getting the worst results in the United Kingdom? Why are Welsh farmers being abandoned? And why do they want to spend £120 million more on 36 more politicians in Cardiff, but can’t provide a penny of funding to support steelworkers in Port Talbot?
“Wales is proof that when Labour run something, they run it badly. I’m sorry that you, the Welsh people, are being treated as Labour’s laboratory.”
NFNF’s founder, James Melville, has dismissed accusations of underlying political motives, emphasising the group’s commitment to a non-partisan campaign aimed at safeguarding the interests of British farmers.
In an interview with Farmer’s Weekly on Thursday, Mr. Melville said, “No Farmers, No Food is purely about farming concerns and to try to get to a situation whereby British farmers’ best interests are being served with a bit more political will.”
Farmers signed up to campaigns such as NFNF are seeking to draw attention to critical issues such as the surging cost of fuel and fertilisers, exacerbated by global events like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the pressing demands of climate regulation.
The agricultural sector’s challenges are further compounded by ongoing adherence to the EU’s Nitrates Directive, which, despite Brexit, imposes stringent controls on nitrate application from farming activities. This regulation, aimed at protecting water quality, has been criticised for imposing unsustainable financial pressures on farmers, highlighting the broader conflict between environmental goals and the practical realities of farming.
UK Unrest Mirrors Europe
The UK’s farming unrest reflects a wider European narrative of agricultural protest, drawing on successful strategies that have led to significant political and policy shifts in other nations.In response to comment from Welsh Labour’s First Minister Mark Drakeford, who said on Monday that farmers cannot independently determine the allocation of millions in subsidies, Andrew RT Davies, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said: “This statement shows the first minister’s naked contempt for our farmers. Labour and Plaid Cymru fail to realise that no farmers means no food, as they sacrifice our agricultural communities at the altar of a fanatical green agenda.
“The Sustainable Farming Scheme has been rejected by the farming community and it is high time Labour and Plaid scrap this policy before it does irreversible damage to our rural communities.”
A spokesperson for the Welsh Government told media: “In Wales, we have maintained the Basic Payment Scheme [BPS] at £238 million in 2024, which was not easy in the financial circumstances. It is something farmers asked us to do in order to provide stability and we listened.
“The UK government has not maintained BPS at the same levels in England and, unlike what the UK government has done in England, we are not proposing to bring forward fragmented schemes. We have developed the Sustainable Farming Scheme, in partnership with the sector, in a way which is designed to support all farmers in Wales through a Universal Baseline Payment.
“The Welsh government is committed to supporting the agriculture sector in Wales and we have been very clear that working in partnership with the farming sector is key. We will continue to do so.”
