Suffolk County Councillors debate motion to help famers; some say it does not go far enough
A motion supporting local farmers was debated at the county council yesterday.
It was proposed by deputy leader, Cllr Richard Rout, and aimed to support farmers by encouraging residents to shop locally and making sure meat and dairy are served at every council event alongside vegetary and vegan options.
Cllr Rout said: “The east of England feeds and sustains our nation — ditching milk and dairy will shut down whole sectors of the UK economy.
“We, on this side of the chamber firmly believe in personal choice and personal freedom.”
Although the motion received resounding support, with 59 votes for, and only three abstentions, some opposition councillors felt it didn’t go far enough.
Cllr Jessie Carter, who abstained, said: “Unfortunately, I feel this motion lacks any real motive or aspiration or any real support that you are claiming to give.
“The farming community that I proudly represent would have liked to have seen more. Suffolk deserves more. “
The same feeling was shared on the Independents’ side, with Cllr Richard Kemp, who supported it, saying the motion was akin to ‘fighting a forest fire with a garden hose pipe’.
In his view, it missed out on the opportunity to endorse the provision of locally sourced food regarding school and hospital meals.
He added: “If you’re going to make any impact, for goodness sake, put some backbone to this statement.
“I’m in support of it, but it’s a pretty weak thing you put forward.”
Similarly, although Cllr Sandy Martin, deputy leader of the Labour group, thought Cllr Rout’s motion brought up a ‘non-issue’, he also thought both sides of the chamber were ‘playing political games’ during the debate.
He said: “I know that what we always want to see is a motion that covers everything we are concerned about.
“I don’t think this motion is as comprehensive as it could have been, but whataboutery is always unhelpful.”
The bid to make sure meat and dairy are served alongside other options comes in the backdrop of the controversial ‘Plant Based Treaty’ which aims to limit meat and dairy and prioritise vegan food consumption in a bid to tackle the climate emergency.
Although this has been put forward and adopted by several local councils, Cllr Andy Mellen, who leads Mid Suffolk, however, pointed such measures had been proposed or discussed in Suffolk.
But Cllr Rout stressed the motion was not about promoting certain food consumption, but rather about personal choice.
He said: “It should be down to the individual to decide what they eat, not the government, not local councils, or pressure groups.”
Cllr Jessica Fleming added: “It is our responsibility towards the environment to use local sources for our food.
“We need more support from the Government — we must support our agricultural sector or it will be gone and that will be an awful pity.”
The meeting was also attended by Mo Metcalf-Fisher, director of external affairs at the Countryside Alliance, who said the passing of the motion was ‘a victory for freedom of choice and common sense’.
