Minority Government must not duck difficult decisions – Kendall

He said the prospect of a minority Government, where the lead party can be dependent on the support of others to get policy through, could result in a situation where controversial policies like badger culling are shelved.

“We know some difficult decisions that need to be made are coming up, in particular the need to put together a comprehensive plan on bovine TB, which is a very difficult one in terms of public opinion.

“We need a Government that is prepared to make difficult decisions but you always fear with a minority Government that could be a problem,” he said.

But he said he saw the influx of a swathe of new MPs and a likely shake-up in Government, whether in the form of a Tory or Labour-led minority Government, as ‘more of an opportunity than a risk’.

He said the NFU would arrange meetings with as many new MPs as possible over the next few weeks to ensure they understand the ‘big challenges ahead’ regarding food production and the significance of the food industry in the context of economic recovery. “It is about making sure we quickly form helpful relationships with MPs,” he said.

NFU staff will also be pressing upon the new Defra team the need to fight to ensure farming does not fall victim to the inevitable budget cuts likely to place across Government over the next few years.

“We want to ensure whoever is coming in does not drop the big challenges of the future down their list of priorities,” he said.

“Our message to the new Defra team is that this is a really exciting industry with lots to offer in many areas. It is about trying to convince them that the industry wants to work with them to make sure we are more successful as an industry, and therefore as a country.

“We will be saying don’t exclude us. We want to be playing an active role. When it comes to making those budget cuts, they need to be aware of the importance of productive  agriculture.

“It is not just about producing food it is about doing it in a more sustainable way – the   producing more impacting less agenda. Nit just the impacting less agenda.” 

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