Labour U-turn leaves Shropshire farmers high and dry says Helen

North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan has slammed the Labour Government over its sudden closure of Sustainable Farming Initiative (SFI) grant applications, leaving farmers without the support they had been relying on to plan for the future.

The shock decision has left farming businesses across North Shropshire in crisis, with those who had carefully prepared applications now finding they have no options left. Many farmers had delayed applying due to Government assurances that further options would open, only to now be locked out with no warning.

Farmers in Melverley and across the constituency have spent months—some even years—planning their applications, only to be blindsided by the Government’s abrupt U-turn. Some were waiting to register land, others were in the process of passing farms onto the next generation, and now all are left scrambling for alternatives.

The MP challenged the Farming Minister on this topic in Parliament earlier today, asking for clarity so the agricultural sector can recover.

It is the latest blow to the farming sector in recent years following botched trade deals signed by the Conservative Government and Labour’s introduction of the Family Farm Tax.

Helen Morgan, MP for North Shropshire, said, “Farmers in Shropshire are deeply committed to improving the environment and farming in a sustainable way. But they are also running businesses and need certainty to plan ahead. This abrupt decision has left them in the lurch.

“I have spoken to farmers who have been waiting for months—sometimes years—to apply for these grants, only to be told at the last minute that they now cannot proceed. Some are new entrants trying to register their land, others are generational farmers attempting to pass farms on to their children. In Melverley, one farmer has no internet or phone reception and has been relying on neighbours just to contact the Rural Payments Agency. He was working through the application process yesterday and has now been told it’s too late. This is completely unacceptable.

“The Government’s response in Parliament was weak. Ministers pointed to other funding streams, but those funds do not help farmers who have been explicitly waiting for the promised SFI options. They have been misled and left with no time to adapt.

“The Government must urgently clarify what the replacement scheme will look like and how affected farmers will be supported. We cannot have farming businesses forced to make decisions in the dark due to chaotic policymaking.”