In a letter to food security and rural affairs minister Daniel Zeichner, exclusively seen by Sky News, a dozen of the biggest rural industry organisations say they are “deeply concerned” about rumoured cuts that will be made to the agricultural budget in Wednesday’s spending review.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves will set out budgets for each government department for the rest of this parliament, set to end in 2029.
The letter says cutting funding for existing and new environmental farming schemes will be “catastrophic” to the government’s aims for the environment.
“Many of the environmental features present in the countryside and enjoyed by the public will be under threat and will disappear,” the letter says. “This would be a poor legacy for this government.”
Sir Keir Starmer’s government has made getting to net zero by 2050 a key goal, already initiating several policies to restrict carbon emissions and make the UK greener since winning the election last July.
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