Andrea Leadsom launches Defra ‘battle bus’

Government officials have been putting the final touches to a Defra “battle bus” ahead of a UK tour visiting farms to allay farmers’ fears over Brexit.

Farm leaders are concerned that since Defra secretary Andrea Leadsom started her job eight months ago, she has not visited many farms – despite the UK farming industry facing huge changes as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

In response to her critics, Mrs Leadsom will lead a 15-date 874-mile tour, dubbed Project Defra: At the heart of British farming, to demonstrate how seriously Defra values farmers and listening to their views. 

See also: Leadsom’s lack of farm Brexit plan under scrutiny

The final stop will see the minster and MP for South Northamptonshire, make her first official visit to East Anglia, an arable heartland where 65% of the UK’s sugar beet is grown.

The tour bus route includes some of the UK’s most productive farming areas, such as Devon and Cornwall, the East Midlands, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, before the last leg in Norfolk.

A Defra source said: “Andrea failed to impress farmers with her speech at the Oxford Farming Conference in January, but she’s determined to win their hearts and minds.

“She wants to drive home the message that she will seek the best deal possible for farmers after Brexit and remind them of the value of opening new export markets to the Far East.

Andrea is so excited about visiting farms she can barely sleep. She loves a good bus ride and can’t wait to get her free bus pass in a few years Defra source

“Andrea is so excited about visiting farms she can barely sleep. She loves a good bus ride and can’t wait to get her free bus pass in a few years.”

During her tour, Mrs Leadsom will explain to farmers that after Brexit they will need to submit daily video diaries as part of their Countryside Stewardship agreements, submit quarterly BPS applications and will only be able to trim hedges between January and March.

Backseat brawl brewing

Farmers Weekly understands that the bus will be decked out with the best of British food, including fish and chips, sausage rolls, deluxe horsemeat burgers and porky pies.

But a row is brewing between ministers about where they will sit on the bus.

“A backseat brawl could be just around the corner,” added the Defra source. “George [Eustice] is digging his heels in. He’s not going unless he gets that backseat. Simple as. Even a Cornish pasty in Truro won’t placate him.”

For 100 years, politicians have climbed aboard buses and toured the country to spread their messages to the masses.

Last year, Mrs Leadsom joined Boris Johnson on the Vote Leave battle bus, which helped to persuade the British public to vote to leave the EU.