Mark Garnier, Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Wyre Forest today added his name to the latest Conservative action designed to finally give justice to all English farmers, suffering under the Government's staggering inertia regarding payments owed to them.
Farmers across Wyre Forest are owed money under the Single Farm Payment Scheme that replaced a cumbersome system of 11 former separate subsidies in January 2005. The Government set up the Rural Payments Agency to make the payments in February 2006. Yet the Government has left farmers languishing in financial difficulties as a direct result of ministerial incompetence.
The "Make Them Pay by Christmas Day" campaign seeks to put pressure on the Government to sort out this fiasco and is endorsed by the National Farmer's Union, the Tenant farmer's Association and the Country Land and Business Association. The campaign is demanding that the Government ensures that farmers receive at least 80% of money owed to them by December 25th.
Mark Garnier commented:
"When you consider the financial difficulties already faced by farmers as a result of falling agricultural produce prices, you can see how this Government created crises is, in many cases, the final straw for farmers. It is absolutely unforgivable for the Government to put an entire section of the community in this situation.
"I am appealing to local residents to show their support for farmers to sign our e-petition at www.conservatives.com/makethempay"