Farron Challenges Minister Over Farming Future

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has challenged Farming Minister George Eustice MP to back Britain's farmers by committing to the single market and ruling out a cut in farm support payments, ahead of a speech on Wednesday to the Northern Farming Conference.

If the UK leaves the single market, UK farmers could face crippling tariffs on exports.

Tim is also pushing the government to commit to maintaining the level of farm support payments, without which many local farmers would be driven under. Currently, the government has only committed to maintaining funding until 2020.

Farming Minister George Eustice MP will speak on the future of farming post-Brexit at the Northern Farming Conference in Hexham on Wednesday. The theme of this year's conference is 'Farming: Where I see my future'.

Tim said: "Farmers are desperate for certainty, and the government should be up-front with them about the future. Ahead of the Farming Minister's speech on Wednesday, I am challenging him to commit to retaining membership of the single market and to maintaining the level of farm support payments post-2020. Without continued support and the ability to trade freely, huge numbers of local farmers will be put out of business, and with them will go the landscape and way of life that characterises rural Britain."