The farmer revolt against globalist and green agenda policies descended upon London on Monday as a tractor convoy of British farmers flooded into Parliament Square to pressure the government ahead of the upcoming general election, claiming they were “betrayed” by the Tories after Brexit.
Following months of tractor protests across Europe, farmers brought their frustrations to the streets of central London, flying Union Jack flags and signs with messages reading “Back British Farmers” and “No farmers, no food, no future”.
Like their counterparts on the continent, many of the farmers gathered outside Parliament expressed concerns over free trade deals — which Tory governments have been signing following the departure from the European Union — with countries such as Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, and New Zealand, among others.
British farmers argue that while they are held to a very high standard, in terms of labour, environment, and health regulations, the imported agricultural products can be produced in countries with lower standards, meaning that the food can be produced at a cheaper cost and undercut the prices of local produce.
Additionally, British farmers claim that they have been further undercut by the government’s decision to allow European farmers access to UK markets despite their comparatively higher level of government subsidies and reliance on cheap migrant labour.
To add insult to injury, foreign food is currently allowed to be sold in UK supermarkets with the British flag so long as the product is packaged in the country, a practice that local farmers say hurts their ability to differentiate themselves from their foreign competitors.
LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 25: Farmers holding banners and placards and driving tractors gather at Parliament Square during a demonstration organised by Save British Farming against UK food policy, substandard imports and stricter food labelling regulations, as they call for the government to act to save British farming, in central London, United Kingdom on March 25, 2024. (Photo by Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Speaking from the protest, the founder of Save British Farming, Liz Webster told The Telegraph that UK farmers are “completely and utterly disadvantaged”.
“In 2019, this Government was elected with a mandate to uphold our standards and deliver a ready-made deal with the EU which would see British agriculture boom,” she said. “It is now entirely obvious that they have totally betrayed us all.
“Polling shows that the public back British farming and food and want to maintain our high food standards and support local producers. We need a radical change of policy and an urgent exit from these appalling trade deals, which will decimate British food.”
The farmers were joined in Parliament Square by Nigel Farage, who remarked on his GB News programme on Monday evening: “I have to say unlike the scenes that we saw in Brussels and Paris, these were a pretty law-abiding bunch, as you would pretty much expect from British farmers. But don’t misunderstand their behaviour for the passion that they feel… they’re a pretty angry group.”
The Brexiteer said that while the UK has reclaimed control over its farming policies from Brussels, it has squandered the opportunity by embarking on Net Zero green policies, which have artificially inflated the cost of energy and fossil fuel-based fertilisers necessary for much modern farming.
Others have noted that much of the so-called farming subsidies are actually being directed towards paying farmers not to farm, but rather to re-establish natural habitats, thereby reducing the money actually being funnelled into the actual process of productive, food-bearing farming.
The protest in London came as green agenda advocates in the European Union suffered a major setback, with the Green New Deal’s Nature Restoration plan, which once was widely expected to sail through a rubber stamp process, was indefinitely postponed on Monday in the wake of farmer rage towards Brussels.
The plan would have required member states by 2030 to restore at least 20 per cent of the EU’s land and sea areas deemed by Eurocrats necessary to maintain “biodiversity”. This was a major issue in the Netherlands, where the Dutch government sought to forcibly buy out farmers to comply with the protected habitats laid out in the EU’s Natura 2000 framework.
The decision to shelve the plan came just days after Brussels backtracked on allowing Ukrainian farmers complete free access to European markets, adding prevention measures against market flooding for some staple foods so as to protect local farmers. The willingness by Brussels to bend to the demands of farmers comes in no small part because of the looming European Parliament elections in June.
British farmers are similarly hoping to make their cause a key issue in the general election in the UK, which is expected to be held later this year. The founder of Kent Fairness for Farmers, Jeff Gibson said: “It’s so important that our message about substandard imports, dishonest labelling and concerns for food security is heard. With an election looming, we want to ensure the next incoming government takes up our cause.”