Trade bodies and charities have called on political parties to put food at the heart of their campaigns following Theresa May’s decision to call a snap general election on 8 June.
Responses from the sector reflected the diversity of issues at stake for those involved in the food supply chain.
The British Hospitality Association (BHA) said it looked forward to hearing from all parties how they proposed to handle the transition to a more home grown workforce given the sector’s reliance on migrant labour.
The BHA recently presented the government with the findings of a new report which shows that the industry would need to recruit more than 60,000 UK workers each year in the event that free movement of labour is ended as part of a Brexit settlement.
The Food and Drink Federation said that all those who aspire to form the next government had a duty to spell out in very clear terms their vision for the nation’s food and farming policy for the post-Brexit generation, reflecting a widely held view that such a vision is currently lacking as the UK enters Brexit negotiations.
The NGO, Sustain, said June’s vote would have huge implications for the future of the UK’s food, farming and fishing. Among the organisation’s policy asks are for a commitment to increase the amount of fresh, local, healthy and sustainable food served in the UK’s schools and hospitals, and improvements in food labelling to help consumers make healthy and sustainable food choices.
The NFU, meanwhile, said its members would want to understand how each of the political parties plans to support profitable, productive and progressive agriculture and horticulture in the future. “The right post-Brexit trade deal is absolutely critical but equally so is a new wider policy framework that better delivers for farming and the nation,” said NFU president Meurig Raymond.
The election timetable will see parliament officially dissolved on 3 May, 36 working days before the vote on 8 June.
Trade bodies and charities have called on political parties to put food at the heart of their campaigns following Theresa May’s decision to call a snap general election on 8 June.
Responses from the sector reflected the diversity of issues at stake for those involved in the food supply chain.
The British Hospitality Association (BHA) said it looked forward to hearing from all parties how they proposed to handle the transition to a more home grown workforce given the sector’s reliance on migrant labour.
The BHA recently presented the government with the findings of a new report which shows that the industry would need to recruit more than 60,000 UK workers each year in the event that free movement of labour is ended as part of a Brexit settlement.
The Food and Drink Federation said that all those who aspire to form the next government had a duty to spell out in very clear terms their vision for the nation’s food and farming policy for the post-Brexit generation, reflecting a widely held view that such a vision is currently lacking as the UK enters Brexit negotiations.
The NGO, Sustain, said June’s vote would have huge implications for the future of the UK’s food, farming and fishing. Among the organisation’s policy asks are for a commitment to increase the amount of fresh, local, healthy and sustainable food served in the UK’s schools and hospitals, and improvements in food labelling to help consumers make healthy and sustainable food choices.
The NFU, meanwhile, said its members would want to understand how each of the political parties plans to support profitable, productive and progressive agriculture and horticulture in the future. “The right post-Brexit trade deal is absolutely critical but equally so is a new wider policy framework that better delivers for farming and the nation,” said NFU president Meurig Raymond.
The election timetable will see parliament officially dissolved on 3 May, 36 working days before the vote on 8 June.
