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DINNERS DING-DONG
Fears ministers will axe pledge to serve British grown food in schools in fresh blow to farmers
Sir Keir Starmer is already facing a national mutiny of farmers over his family farm tax hike
A ROW has exploded over fears ministers will ditch their pledge to serve British grown food in schools in the scramble for spending cuts.
The move would be a fresh hammer blow to farmers - who are already in national revolt after being hit by massive tax hikes.
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Sir Keir Starmer promised that at least 50 per cent of food served by the state would be British grown or hit the same high standards.
His manifesto vow was seen as a major boost for UK farmers by providing them with big new customers.
But Whitehall sources admitted the pledge comes with a price tag - and there are fears it could be chopped in Rachel Reeves’ scramble for cuts.
Mo Metcalf-Fisher, from the Countryside Alliance, said: “The government made a welcome promise to fly the flag for British farmers by serving home-grown food in its hospitals and schools.
“Any backsliding on this pledge would be another kick in the teeth for British farmers.
“Rachel Reeves and the government needs to say when it will hit this 50 per cent target and how we will get there.
“We cannot have another broken promise.”
Victoria Atkins, Tory Shadow Farming Secretary, said: “The government has already betrayed farmers by hiking their inheritance tax- they must not betray them on this too.”
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Amid warnings Britain is heading for a 1970s style stagflation crisis, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has ordered all departments to find cuts.
The food row comes as hundreds of farmers prepare to descend on Parliament in their tractors on Monday to protest at the family farm tax.
Farmers say it will mean thousands of them will not be able to pass their plots on to their kids and will have to sell up to big foreign landowners.
Parliament will debate a giant petition calling for the Budget measure to be axed.
A spokesman for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs said: “The Government is committed to using the Government’s own purchasing power to back British produce, with an ambition for 50 per cent of food in hospitals, army bases and prisons to be local or produced to high environmental standards.
“As a crucial first step to deliver on our manifesto commitment, the Government will now monitor where food bought by the public sector comes from.”
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