During Parliamentary Recess, I launched the Labour Rural Research Group’s

(LRRG) – over 40 Labour MPs representing rural and semi-rural constituencies – Spring Push for Farming Profitability Campaign, aiming to boost British farmers’ profitability. It is undeniable that farmers have faced a perfect storm; previous Conservative administrations failed to produce a tangible post-Brexit plan, and the cost of inputs, equipment and labour increased considerably, as has regulation and environmental requirements.

Our campaign is calling on the government to deliver policies that will help boost the profitability of British farms, starting with two pillars; “Honest Labelling” and “Level the Playing Field”.

Honest Labelling would introduce two new food labels. Currently, you can buy food plastered in Union flags claiming to be “Made in Britain”, when the majority of ingredients are imported; origin and manufacturing labelling, based on the Made-In-Australia system, would make it clear whether food is grown, produced, or made in the UK, and what percentage of the ingredients are British. It would make it easier for shoppers to buy British and back our farmers.

When you go to buy your eggs or your bacon, you deserve to know how those animals were treated, and the conditions they were raised in. A second, tiered, colour-coded welfare label would clearly communicate the animal welfare conditions of the food you buy. It’d also highlight the pre-existing high standards our farmers adhere to.

Levelling the Playing Field is ensuring British farmers are receiving a fair deal both domestically and internationally. Post-Brexit Tory trade deals have cost farmers millions (the Australian deal alone cost £107-million) and led to thousands of tonnes of low welfare food being imported, often produced using practices illegal here. The LRRG are therefore calling for imported food to have the same standards as homegrown food, protecting our farmers from being undercut by cheaper, lower quality and welfare goods from abroad.

Almost every farmer (99 per cent!) has experienced at least one unfair supermarket practice – such as late payments or cancelled orders, and supermarkets buy almost all farm produce, leaving farmers at a significant disadvantage in negotiations. The Groceries Code Adjudicator – the body responsible for overseeing deals between supermarkets and farms – should be strengthened so it can tackle bad behaviour and mediate fairer deals for farmers. We also want to see unnecessary red tape cut for farmers, whilst maintaining our high standards, so they can spend less time doing paperwork and more time in the fields.

Our campaign has also been endorsed by national and international organisations, including the WFF, the Countryside Alliance, Compassion in World Farming, and the Countryside Business and Land Alliance (CLA), who agree that it’s time to back British farmers with Honest Labelling and a Level Playing Field.

Coupled with supporting the excellent Suzanne Featherstone's campaign for Newquay Porth and Tretherras, the launch of my Water Wardens project to hold polluters to account, meeting numerous local sports clubs, and fending off a vexatious harassment case - as you do - it's been a busy Parliamentary recess!