“NFU Backs ‘Remain In EU’ Despite Split In Membership”
Illustration by Steve Spencer
NFU Backs remain in EU amid claims of split in membership views.
The Vote Leave campaign has accused the National Farmer’s Union of misrepresenting its members by backing the campaign to remain in the EU.
Vote Leaves campaign director, Dominic Cummings and head of communications, Paul Stephenson were surprised by the NFU siding with the remain campaign because they believe the NFU’s members are split on the issue of the UK’s continued membership of the EU, blaming several big landowners for adding their weight behind the NFU’s decision.
For their part the NFU council insists they will not be actively influencing the way their members were to vote on June 23, but added “on balance of existing evidence” the farmers are “best served by our continuing membership of the European Union”.
Michael Gove, a Vote Leave leading figurehead, agreed that British farmers got substantial assistance from Brussels, but also stated “we don’t control exactly where it goes”.
The farming industry takes up around 40% of national spending and Peter Kendall, who launched the ‘Farmers for In’ campaign, said “Leaving the EU would make trading farm products harder, financial support uncertain and leave farmers facing years of uncertainty. That is too much of a gamble and one our industry cannot afford to take”.
A recent survey carried out by Farmers Weekly showed that 61% of farmers in Yorkshire were in favour of leaving the EU.
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