Farmers back 'Not A Penny Less' campaign

Local farmers backed Tim Farron's 'Not A Penny Less' campaign at the Westmorland County Show yesterday.

Tim had a stall at the County Show yesterday to launch the campaign to ensure that farmers do not lose out on critical funding post-Brexit. Members of the public, including many local farmers, visited Tim's stand to raise their concerns with Tim and to back the campaign.

Farm support payments are currently funded by the EU, and there are concerns about what will happen to these payments post-Brexit. The government has currently guaranteed the funding until 2020. However, with the UK likely to leave the EU in 2019, this only covers the year following Brexit. The future of the payments after this date is unclear.

Analysis of DEFRA calculations shows that nearly 2500 farmers in the North West could be pushed into the red without these payments.

Tim said: "The County Show was a great celebration of agriculture in our area - bringing together farmers, visitors and industry groups from Westmorland and beyond. It takes more than a bit of mud and rain to dampen the spirits of local people, and there was a fantastic atmosphere throughout the day.

"I enjoyed meeting farmers and industry groups to hear about their successes and also their concerns. I am determined to fight to ensure that our farmers keep the support they rely on post-Brexit. Farmers need reassurance so they can plan ahead and invest. Without these funds, our farmers and the communities they are part of will disappear."