What does Scotland's farming sector think if Labour is to win the election?

Farmers haven't been so impressed with Labour's lack of detail on funding | Katharine Hay

Labour’s impression on farmers hasn’t got off to a promising start if they are to win the election in a few days time, as industry leaders in agriculture pointed out the party’s manifesto had no mention of the agriculture budget.

If the polls are correct, Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party will form the next government with a huge majority and a mandate for change.

The Tories and the Liberal Democrats have underlined a £1bm commitment of extra funding for UK agriculture in their manifestos, meanwhile the Scottish National Party (SNP) has said there was a need for more funding for farming.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has previously said apart from Labour’s “green prosperity plan” at no more than £5bn/year, there are few, if any, definite promises on spending in its manifesto.

The IFS also pointed out that Labour has committed to “big promises” in areas including the NHS, education and national security, which will require “big spending” – which could mean funding for food and agriculture will remain on the back burner.

National Farmers Union Scotland president Martin Kennedy said the union was “disappointed” in how light Labour’s manifesto was in rural policy.

Martin Kennedy, president of National Farmers Union Scotland, speaking at the union's conference earlier this year | NFUS

He said the absence of a funding commitment is a “major concern”, which “ignores our number one priority for the next UK government.”

Scottish farmers are still in the dark about how the new four-tier payment system coming in to replace EU subsidies since Brexit will work. At the moment, they have only been promised by former first minister of Scotland and SNP politician Humza Yousaf that 70 per cent of the new funding will be committed to the basic payment.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw said a UK budget of £5.5bn/year (compared with £3.7bn currently) is necessary to underpin food production and deliver for the environment.

But, echoing Mr Kennedy, he said no mention of the UK agricultural budget in Labour’s manifesto is “deeply disappointing”.

At this year’s Royal Highland Show, Scottish agri spokesperson, Rhoda Grant MSP, pushed back against comments that Labour failed to show much support for agriculture in its manifesto.

In an interview with the Scottish Farmer, she said the Tories and Lib Dems were able to promise £1bn of funding commitments “because they don’t expect to win so they can promise the earth and no-one is going to ask them to deliver it.”

“We are in a slightly different position where we have to be very careful about making promises and making sure we can keep the promises we make – we under-promise and overdeliver,” she said.

Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who also attended RHS, is reported to have promised to turn the Scotland Office into “a window to the world” and use the soft power of “Brand Scotland” to “sell Scotland’s high-quality food and drink, creative industries, tech, tourism and hospitality to the world.”

Prior to the general election being announced, NFU Scotland’s manifesto set out five key asks that will be critical for the next UK Government.

These included: delivering increased, ring-fenced and multi-annual funding; improving producer margins to increase food security; providing better access to skilled workers; protecting domestic food production in future trade deals; and an increase in fiscal incentives.