A farmer’s rally on Orkney has been planned for next week to run adjacent to the Westminster events.
The demonstration will show support for those travelling to London and for farmers across the four corners of the UK following the 'devastating' autumn budget.
The Back British Farming rally will take place on Tuesday 19 at 11am at Orkney Auction Mart.
Karen Johnston, secretary of the Orkney Livestock Association, felt that it was imperative that Orcadians stand alongside their fellow farmers, even if not travelling to London.
“We have organised this rally because Orkney is very dependent on agriculture and like every other farmer in the country farmer in the country those living here are fed up with how we are being treated by government,” she explained.
Adding: “The latest budget put the tin hat on it.”
Ms Johnston criticised the ongoing role of government in hampering food production in the UK, while continuing to import food from abroad not liable to the same legislative scrutiny.
“There is now so much red tape and so many hoops to jump through, and the budget has added to that pressure,” continued Ms Johnston. She called for farmers across the UK to stand together to have their voices heard but urged the immediate need for peaceful demonstration first.
“The current Labour government seem to be very hardheaded, but I hope they take notice because if they don’t sit down and speak about this sensibly then there is going to be more action on the horizon.
“We have chosen to call this a rally because it is to be a peaceful demonstration,” said Ms Johnston, before stating that they chose the mart as location to avoid public disruption and keep people safe.
NFUS Orkney chair Colin Flett and MP Alistair Carmichael are heading to Westminster to represent the island at the rally.
Following the announcement of a rally to lobby MPs at Church House, Westminster, organised by the NFU, many splinter rallies were organised up and down the country. These demonstrations hope to show the damage that the changes outlined in Labour’s new budget would have on the rural sector if implemented.
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