British farmers deserve better than uncertainty and empty promises, writes Tim Farron

9 May 2025, 12:52

By Tim Farron

After months of uncertainty thanks to Donald Trump’s senseless trade war, I of course will welcome a deal that will provide stability in an increasingly unstable world.

But on food standards, we’re not out of the woods yet.

There have been weeks of speculation, and so many of us were shocked to hear Nigel Farage suggest he would happily accept chlorinated chicken as part of a trade deal.

This rightly horrified farmers across the country - and is yet another example of Reform’s complete ignorance for what matters to farmers. So, it is a welcome relief to hear that the Government has confirmed they will maintain food standards as part of the new deal.

However, the devil is in the detail.

Yesterday’s press conference provided very little concrete information, and for the British farming community there are so many unanswered questions.

For our beef farmers there is a great deal of confusion. How will “reciprocal market access on beef” actually work? And what is meant by beef? The kind of beef imported from the US - whether it is valuable cuts, like fillet and sirloin, or carcass beef - will make a significant difference to the value of beef produced in the UK.

Another issue farmers in my constituency of Westmorland and Lonsdale have raised with me is the lack of clarity around labelling, which so far we have heard very little about. This may sound minute, but it can actually have massive ramifications for consumers and farmers alike.

For months, the Liberal Democrats have spearheaded the campaign to “Buy British” to protect British businesses in light of Trump’s tariffs. But it’s hard for people to Buy British without proper information about product origin. They deserve to know exactly where and how products are made, and it is absolutely essential that all products are clearly labelled so consumers can make informed decisions whether in shops or when eating out.

Whilst the headlines have focused on cars and beef, we should not forget the impact ethanol imports might have on a small part of the cereal sector in parts of the UK.

For too long, farmers have been neglected and offered a bad deal - and that is why it is so vital that British farmers are protected in this trade deal. The Conservatives cruelly slashed farmers’ incomes (hill farm incomes have plunged 41% since 2019), and they suffered thanks to botched trade deals. Disgracefully, many farmers earn less than the national minimum wage.

Then came the Labour Government’s cruel family farm tax, which will result in more farms across the country making the tragic decision to pack up and sell up. If this deal does not properly support farmers, the impact could be catastrophic.

That is why I and the Liberal Democrats will continue to fight to be the voice for farmers up and down the country. Let’s not forget, if we don’t have farmers our food production will fall, affecting Britain's food security. And without farmers, the environment will suffer by taking land away from those who day in and day out protect it.

It’s absolutely no coincidence that when UNESCO gave the Lake District world heritage status, they gave equal credit to hill farmers as they did the glaciers.

The Liberal Democrats understand how important British farmers are and that is why in our manifesto we pledged to provide an extra £1 billion a year to support British farmers.

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Tim Farron is MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, and former Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

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