By Aimee Mahony, chief poultry adviser, NFU
I wrote my last Poultry Business column on the train to London and concluded by reflecting on a looming General Election. What I hadn’t quite anticipated was that the Prime Minister would have made that announcement by the time I was on the train home that very same day.
Being in London when Rishi Sunak was stood outside No.10 Downing Street was a little surreal – it certainly wasn’t the best day weather wise to leave your house without an umbrella! It felt like a moment the nation had been waiting for but at the same time something they weren’t prepared for. One person that was prepared was the nearby protestor who blasted out ‘things can only get better’ from his back up amp after the first one had given up due to water ingress.
The reason for being in London that day was a meeting with the Farming Minister Mark Spencer. Alongside the NFU President and the National Poultry Board Chair and Vice Chair we had a fairly positive meeting even if the discussion at times was rather frustrating. A promise to work collaboratively to ensure meaningful outcomes came of the Defra review of fairness in the broiler supply chain and considerations for easing blockers to planning were two examples of positive steps being made. This is now all on hold until after the general election; even then we will have to see what the next government determine a priority. Therefore, one thing that is certain is that evidence gathering is going to continue to be vital as it has been the foundation of our lobbying success to date.
Alongside evidence, collaboration can often be key with a united voice presenting a stronger message. It’s topical then that the NFU has joined forces with the British Retail Consortium, UK Hospitality and the Food and Drink Federation to express frustration at the lack of coverage for food security so far during the public campaigns of the various party leaders. Despite widespread agreement that ‘food security is national security’, very few details on how the next government will approach this issue have been shared to date.
Unsurprisingly these key organisations have asked the political parties to set out how they intend to support domestic food and farming sectors, and how they will work to ensure resilient supply chains. In a letter to the party leaders, we have said that this omission in public election campaigning needs to be urgently addressed before polling day on 4 July.
We can all make a difference as we try to influence future policy making and at present candidates for the General Election are making their way up and down their prospective constituencies setting out their stall. Make sure they are speaking to you about what’s important for the poultry sector and if you want any support in setting up a meeting or writing a letter then please get in touch with the NFU, we are very happy to help.