Robert has expressed his strong support for the Government’s Agriculture Bill, which he described as setting out a “bold and ambitious vision” for the future of British farming.
Robert was speaking in the House of Commons during the Second Reading of the Bill, which lays down the framework of the Government’s future agricultural policy after Brexit. The UK has been under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) since 1973, so this is the first time MPs have debated an agricultural Bill in five decades.
In his speech, Robert spoke of the benefits of being outside the CAP, which he notes has failed to properly support farmers to invest in either their businesses or the environment.
Robert said: “I welcome this landmark Bill which marks a historic moment for British farming. I fully support the shift outlined in the Bill towards a new principle of public money for public goods – with farmers rewarded for what they do to enhance our precious natural environment.
“This is a Bill which delivers not just for farmers but for all of us in West Oxfordshire, ensuring we sustain a more dynamic rural economy and take better care of our beautiful countryside.”
You can read Robert's full speech here.
