PLAID CYMRU WARNS OF THREAT TO RURAL WALES FROM ‘DAMAGING LEGACY’ OF TORY BREXIT BETRAYAL

Plaid Cymru has today urged Wales’s rural communities to support his party at the General Election on 4^th July to guard against the ‘damaging legacy’ of the Tories’ Brexit betrayal.

Ann Davies, Plaid Cymru candidate for Carmarthen, said that Plaid Cymru’s mantra for the countryside was to “protect, preserve and promote”, and set out some of his party’s key rural pledges for the General Election.

Plaid Cymru’s candidate for Carmarthen, Ann Davies, said,

“It’s difficult to recall a more challenging time for the agricultural sector.

“The hammer blow dealt by Brexit and the broken Tory promise of ‘not a penny less’ means that our farmers are now lumbered with the damaging legacy of Conservative betrayal. 

“By next year, the UK Government will have cut about £290 million from the agricultural budget compared to what we used to get from the EU before Brexit, with many sectors within the industry facing more, not fewer, obstacles.

“Food production is just one example. At present, there is an extractive element to production in Wales as a result of poor local processing capacity. That’s why Plaid Cymru wants to improve local supply chains to ensure that the value of the food remains within local communities.

“During the EU referendum the Tories promised to ‘cut red tape’ but the reality of the post-Brexit landscape means that the industry is now facing more checks, more hurdles, and more delays whilst competitors on the continent have unfettered access to the UK. “No Farmers No Food” is as much a harsh reality as it is a powerful rallying cry.

“That’s why Plaid Cymru will always do everything within its power to support measures which ensure that food production regulations are fair for the farmer and the consumer.

“The wider context in Wales at this General Election is one of the undermining effect of new trade agreements, an increase in farming costs, the Labour Welsh Government’s NVZ regulations and the failure to tackle TB in wildlife – all of which are being felt acutely within the farming community.

“Plaid Cymru also welcomes Labour’s pause to review the roll-out of the Sustainable Farming Scheme in Wales – a call we made some time ago – which clearly requires greater consultation with farmers about how best to deliver its goals.

“Finally, the ‘rural premium’ where living in rural areas can cost more than living in urban areas whilst services are less easily available must become a thing of the past if we are to secure a viable and sustainable future. Our pledge to increase GPs in Wales will help communities to access the healthcare they need, while we will work to invest in local high streets to keep shops open.

“Protect, preserve and promote is Plaid Cymru’s mantra when it comes to our countryside.

“A vote for Plaid Cymru on 4^th July will be a vote to support rural communities to maintain their culture and way of life, guarding against the twin threat of the Tories and Labour.”