Make them Pay

Antoinette Sandbach backs ‘Make Them Pay By Christmas Day’ campaign

Calls to Government to sort Single Farm Payments fiasco

Antoinette Sandbach, Assembly Candidate in Delyn, added her name to a new Conservative campaign, designed to give justice to all Welsh farmers who rent or own land in England and English farmers to ensure they receive at least 80 per cent of their Single Farm Payments by December 25th.

The “Make Them Pay by Christmas Day” campaign seeks to put pressure on the Government to sort out the fiasco of the Rural Payments Agency. It has been endorsed by the National Farmers’ Union, the Tenant Farmers Association, and the Country Land and Business Association.

Antoinette Sandbach remarked,

“The failure of last year’s Single Farm Payment Scheme has been a complete disaster for Welsh farmers who rent or own land in England. It has left many contemplating leaving the industry and many more suffering anxiety and stress. This is on top of crisis in the Dairy industry which has already seen many farmers forced to quit. The delay in single farm payments adds insult to injury to those who farm both sides of the border.

Yet again we are seeing taxpayers money being wasted on bureacracy that does not deliver. The head of the RPA is still receiving his salary of £114,000 despite no longer being in the job. Implimentation costs have so far cost tax paymers £122 million (compared to a budget £76 million), but further increases are likely especially as DEFRA couls face an EU fine of as much as £131 million because of the errors. This has led to £200 million cuts including vital flood defence work by the Environment Agency

“The Make Them Pay by Christmas Day campaign aims to force the Government to make these payments and relieve some of the financial strain faced now by farmers. I hope those who support good quality local food production will sign up to the e-petition at www.conservatives.com/makethempay”