Recent global events not least the Ukraine War, the impacts of rising energy costs and drought conditions in countries like Spain that supplies us with much fruit and veg, have really brought home to us how crucial our home-produced crops are. In Taunton Deane we have a diverse agricultural industry from milk producers to livestock farmers, arable farmers, horticultural producers with many food and drink businesses also producing a wide range of products. Much of this cornucopia of produce was wonderfully show cased at the special Somerset Day EAT Festival in Taunton which I enjoyed visiting (shopping as I went) on Saturday. There was a similar display of fine produce at the Taunton Independent Market on Sunday in Taunton.
In this vein this week's UK Farm to Fork Summit held at No 10 Downing Street which I was pleased to attend, and which was opened by the Prime Minister himself was extremely timely and welcome. The event demonstrates the Government’s commitment to supporting the farming industry and ensuring we have a resilient sector able to supply our population with healthy, sustainable, affordable food as well as driving economic growth through supporting the rural economy especially through new innovation and technology. To this end some new supports have been announced this week in addition to our Environmental Land Management programme. There is a renewed focus on protecting our farmer’s interests in future trade deals backed up by additional farming and food ambassadors, support to boost domestic fruit and veg production as well as new investment in technologies. These were all issues raised with me at my recent farmers roundtable at Cutsey Farm in Trull.
On wider rural issues I am working closely with the Great South West All Party Group in Westminster on a range of areas vital to our region including broadband, infrastructure, tourism and housing.
Whilst the food and farming messages are so positive, I cannot pass up the opportunity to say again how disappointed I am that the Liberal Democrat party locally is attempting to high jack the project to bring a Rail Station to Wellington and turn it into some kind of political game by hosting a public meeting in Wellington this week laying claim to progress on this project entirely for themselves. This is very much a joint project with local stakeholders as well as GWR and Network Rail which as the local MP, I have championed locally and nationally in Parliament since I pledged to deliver a station when first elected in 2015. And whilst it might have been a pipe dream for others before this, the metro rail committee which I am proud to chair has worked doggedly to make progress step by step. And I have taken every opportunity at Government level to ensure we are being heard and, with the right business case being made, gradually we have worked our way through the arduous phases required for such a complex project. We are now on a pathway for a potential opening of the rail station in spring 2025 which is hugely exciting for Wellington residents and my constituents more widely. However, we are not there yet and there are more steps to go through in order to reach our destination and of course attract the required funding. And turning this into a political football will defiantly not help our case.
