New UK Government Leadership Needs to Support Scottish Farmers

Following changes at the top of government in Westminster it is more important than ever to ensure the interests of the north-east are accounted for.

Earlier this month, I wrote to Theresa Villiers, the new secretary for the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs, asking for a timetable for the repayment of the £160 million which has been taken from Scotland's farmers by the UK Tory government.

The £160 million of convergence funding was allocated by the EU to Scotland but was retained by the Conservative government and used across the UK instead.

However, new Prime Minister Johnson appeared to give a commitment to "make sure Scotland's farmers get the support they are owed" at a Conservative leadership hustings event during his bid for leadership.

Scottish farmers have not forgotten that the UK Tory government has withheld £160 million in funding rightfully due to them.

It is solely because of Scotland that the UK, as the member state, qualified for this funding.

The new secretary of state has an opportunity early in her tenure to set right this historic wrong.

PM Johnson has given a commitment, which has been welcomed by the NFUS president, so it should be a simple matter of carrying out the will of the PM and paying the money.

Scottish farmers will be expecting more than warm words from the new secretary of state.

She needs to send a clear signal to Scottish farmers that she understands their distinct challenges and is prepared to pay them what is rightfully theirs.

In other words, she needs to decide whether she will back Scotland's farmers, or betray them like her predecessor.

The road to October 31 is nearing ever closer and we must ensure that the promises the new Prime Minister is making are kept and that he and his government are held to account.

The Climate Emergency

I was pleased to see the Scottish Government has extended its commitment to addressing the climate emergency we face with further announcements including the opening of a new £6 million project which will use cutting-edge renewable technology to harness energy from water.

As well as this, the Scottish Government is investing £300,000 to expand the Climate Ready Classrooms initiative to help young people aged 14-17 to develop their understanding of climate change, its causes and potential impacts.

The programme aims to engage with at least 50 per cent of Scotland's secondary schools in the next two years and accredit almost 5000 young people as carbon literate.

There was also additional support announced for communities across Scotland to undertake their own Big Climate Conversations, which will feed-in to the Scottish Government public engagement strategy on climate change.

These are all important changes which will help to transform the way we deal with the impact of climate change but also our approach to the challenges we face around it.

It is particularly important that the younger generation learn how to be carbon literate and how we can be the change we wish to see in the world.