Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman has sensationally broken silence to defend revelations that the Government is spending millions on foreign farmers while taxing domestic producers to the hilt.
This morning the on projects across the world to help farmers.
One project worth £24 million launched just last month by the Government is focussing on improving food security in Kenya and other countries.
This stands in stark contrast to the warnings from farmers that the planned inheritance tax raid will harm Britain’s own food security.
This morning, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman told journalists that the money is worth spending as it in fact benefits farmers in Britain.
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Keir Starmer’s spokesman defended the foreign aid revelations (Image: PA)
He said: “We are absolutely committed to supporting farmers here in the UK, and that’s why we’re committing more than £5 billion into farming at home over the next two years.
“Our investment into British farmers is an investment in our food security and our national security.
“When it comes to some of the investments in projects overseas, the UK has driven scientific advances in food and agriculture which will benefit millions around the world, including UK farmers.”
However fury has been shared across parties and by farmers in response to the Express’ story.
This afternoon one mixed farmer from Somerset blasted: “It’s clear [Labour] don’t care what people think of them, but this is getting silly now isn’t it.
“Why are foreign farms worth subsidising but domestic farmers need to be driven out of business?”
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Today’s Daily Express revealed outrage at the foreign aid spending (Image: Daily Express)
Farming influencer Gareth Wyn Jones, who has 2.5 million YouTube subscribers from his videos about farming, said the handouts abroad make no sense given the desire to raise £520 million a year from the Tractor Tax.
Mr Jones also compared farmers’ plight to that of the miners, who saw their mines closed down only for the Government to have to then import coal from abroad.
He told his YouTube following: “If this government is giving that kind of money out to other countries so they can produce food over there at most probably an inferior way to the way we do here… That is most probably the most dangerous thing we are doing today”.
“If a war breaks out, or as we saw in Spain with the massive floods, we will start to go hungry, we will have food shortages and food inflation.
“That £519 million should have been spent in this country on food innovation, on new ways to produce food to feed the nation affordably.”
This morning, former Cabinet minister Esther McVey described the revelation as “typical Labour”.
The ex-Minister for Common Sense said: “Spending hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on foreign farmers through the overseas aid budget, whilst at the same time kicking British farmers in the teeth with the introduction of the ‘family farm tax’.
Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe added: “Just when I think my disgust with this Government has peaked – £536 million being sent to foreign farmers, their assault on British farmers might raise £520million.
“I could not care less about Brazilian and Rwanda farmers. Not our problem. A spit in the face for British farmers.
“Not a penny of British taxpayer money should be given to foreign farmers. It is not our problem.”