Marginals offer chance to elect sympathetic ear
Marginals offer chance to elect sympathetic ear
Helping to make your vote
count for UK farming is the
focus of our four-page
election special. We start with
rural marginal seats before
canvassing the views of Farmer
Focus contributors and the
party agriculture spokesmen
NEARLY 80 marginal seats in the rural constituencies of England and Wales give voters a key chance to elect MPs who are sympathetic to farming and countryside concerns, according to farming organisations.
Nine marginal rural seats in Scotland offer northern voters a similar opportunity.
"The fate of marginal seats may not influence the outcome of the election but it is a chance to elect MPs who are friends of the farming industry," says Barney Holbeche, NFU head of parliamentary affairs. "And, it is in farmings interests to have as many friends as possible in parliament."
His organisation has identified 29 Labour seats, 41 Conservative seats, seven Liberal Democrat seats and one Plaid Cymru seat which it believes to be marginal. That gives voters in these constituencies the chance to select a candidate who favours farming interests and to make all candidates listen to their point of view.
Food and farming is very much on the political agenda, he said. "No government is beyond the forces of nature as the postponement of the election due to foot-and-mouth, revealed. And all political parties have shown an interest in rural areas."
Voter apathy is, he believes, a big danger. "Differences between the parties are more of nuance than major policy and younger voters are becoming increasingly disillusioned with politics," he says.
But failing to vote would be to surrender control of the countryside to others who do bother to vote. "June 7 should be a time for farmers to swallow hard and put aside recent angers and frustrations. They should look ahead to see where agriculture is going and vote for candidate which they believe is most likely to progress farming in the right direction."
Political director of the Country Land and Business Association, Nick Way, agrees that the large number of rural marginal seats provides a chance for the countryside. "Any party that wants to be returned to Westminster can win only by claiming a large number of rural seats," he says.
"The election gives rural voters the opportunity to reinforce the urgency of that need with candidates and to elect those who are most likely to deliver."