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Keir Starmer urges government to buy more food from British farmers Keir Starmer urges government to buy more food from British farmers
(about 2 hours later)
The government should buy more British food, Sir Keir Starmer has said in a speech to the National Farmers Union (NFU) conference. The government should buy more British food for schools and hospitals, Sir Keir Starmer has said in a speech to the National Farmers Union (NFU).
The Labour leader also denied that his party was anti-countryside, calling the idea "more perception than reality".The Labour leader also denied that his party was anti-countryside, calling the idea "more perception than reality".
Meanwhile, NFU leader Minette Batters will urge politicians to address the gap between urban and rural areas. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said leaving the EU provided the chance to end "50 years of an anti-innovation" approach imposed by the bloc.
Environment Secretary George Eustice also addressed the conference. The NFU's conference was its first since the EU-UK post-Brexit trade deal.
He promised farmers that, following Brexit, they would be rewarded for "farming more sustainably, creating space for nature on their land, enhancing animal welfare and reducing carbon emissions". The virtual get-together happened on the same day that Brussels asked for the full ratification of the agreement to be delayed until the end of April - to which the UK government agreed.
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During his speech, Sir Keir said the government should look at whether more of its spending on catering could go towards buying British food. Some businesses have complained of more friction at borders and an increase in bureaucracy in recent weeks since the deal came into force, with the Britain leaving the European single market and customs union.
There are also concerns about trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
But Ms Truss was keen to talk up the future of UK agriculture, telling NFU members it would continue to "lead the world in food and drink" and had quality and safety standards which were "second to none".
In a press conference afterwards, she admitted that there "continue to be issues to work through", but ministers would work to "make sure that trade continues to flow".
And Environment Secretary George Eustice said that following Brexit, farmers would be rewarded for "farming more sustainably, creating space for nature on their land, enhancing animal welfare and reducing carbon emissions".
During his speech, Sir Keir said more of the government's catering budget should go on British produce.
He also argued that money from his proposed Covid Recovery Bond scheme could go towards helping rural communities, for example by investing in long-term flood protection.
A 2014 government report said the public sector spent about £2.4bn on food for schools, hospitals and the armed forces.A 2014 government report said the public sector spent about £2.4bn on food for schools, hospitals and the armed forces.
Sir Keir also argued that money from his proposed Covid Recovery Bond scheme could go towards helping rural communities, for example by investing in long-term flood protection. Sir Keir's appearance at the NFU conference was the first by a Labour leader since Tony Blair in 2008 and he used the opportunity to tackle perceptions of a "distance that has grown" between his party and rural communities.
The proposed bond, which the Labour leader outlined last week, would offer people a savings account with the government at a competitive interest rate - and the cash raised would then be spent on rebuilding the country post-Covid-19.
Sir Keir's appearance at the NFU conference was the first by a Labour leader since 2008 and he used the opportunity to tackle perceptions of a "distance that has grown" between his party and rural communities.
He argued that Labour had strong connections to the countryside, citing its support for protecting British food standards.He argued that Labour had strong connections to the countryside, citing its support for protecting British food standards.
Sir Keir told the online audience about his experience of working on a farm as a teenager, as well as highlighting that Labour's first leader - Keir Hardie - was the son of a farmer. Sir Keir said: "No party can claim to represent the country if we don't represent the countryside."
"No party can claim to represent the country if we don't represent the countryside," he said.
Minette Batters has been president of the National Farmers Union since 2018
During her conference speech, Ms Batters will warn of a gap between rural and urban communities and call for better broadband, more money to tackle crime and changes to the planning system.
Improved connectivity, she will argue, would help farmers diversify their businesses - for example by enabling them to run wedding venues or B&Bs.
"Investment in farming and in rural Britain not only brings about obvious benefits to food production but can have massive benefits to the whole country," Ms Batters will say.
"If the past 12 months has taught us one thing, it's that we are all in this together - and a country which levels up everyone, everywhere, is a stronger country."
Responding to the Labour leader's comments, a Conservative spokeswoman said: "It was Keir Starmer's political games as shadow Brexit secretary that kept us tied to the Common Agricultural Policy that has held our farming industry back for so long.
"The Conservatives are using our independence to deliver a better, fairer farming system in England, which will be tailored to the interests of farmers."