Sunak slammed for ‘shameless bandwagon jumping’ over farmer’s protests

Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts MP has slammed the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for “jumping on a bandwagon” by joining a Welsh farmers’ protest in north Wales.

Farmers across Wales have objected to the Welsh Labour government’s proposals to change farming subsidies to require more land to be set aside for environmental schemes.

The sustainable farming scheme (SFS), which is currently under consultation, would require 10% of a farmer’s land to be covered in trees and the same amount again set aside for wildlife habitat.

Sorry

Mr Sunak met protesting farmers outside the Welsh Conservative Conference in Llandudno, where he offered his support for their cause, telling them he was “sorry for what you are going through”.

Ms Saville Roberts, the MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd described Mr Sunak as “shameless” to claim he is on the side of Welsh farmers given his government’s record.

She said that the Conservative UK Government has consistently undermined Welsh farmers, slashing farm funding by £243m since Brexit, striking damaging trade deals with Australia and New Zealand that undercut local producers, and allowing supermarkets to exploit farmers while reaping substantial profits.

“Rishi Sunak is utterly shameless to claim he is on the side of Welsh farmers,” she said.

“It is his Tory Government that has cut Welsh farm funding by £243m since Brexit. It is his Tory government that is undercutting our farmers through damaging deals with Australia and New Zealand. It is his Tory government that allows supermarkets to rake in profits while our farmers get a pittance.

“Sunak does not care about Welsh farmers and is simply jumping on a bandwagon to try and scrape back a few votes.”

Anger

Taking questions after his speech at the conference, Mr Sunak also said there was “visceral anger” among the farming community in Wales.

“That anger is palpable, and they have every right to be angry,” he said.

“By the Welsh government’s own assessment, their ideas are going to lead to thousands of job losses, reduce our food production and food security and destroy farm incomes.

“It just demonstrates again why their plans are the wrong ones and the wrong ones, particularly, for rural Wales.

“There are farmers outside here today and they are expressing that anger and we will do everything we can, and you guys are doing a great job of highlighting that this is the reality of Labour in power.”