Conservative MP ‘betrays’ Hinckley and Bosworth farmers after failing to back crunch vote in Commons

Hinckley and Bosworth Liberal Democrat Councillor Michael Mullaney has accused the local Conservative MP Luke Evans of “betraying” the constituency’s farmers after failing to back a motion in the House of Commons demanding urgent support for farming and rural communities.

The Liberal Democrat motion called on Ministers to guarantee long-term funding for farmers after a recent system failure meant many were left without vital funds.

In their first Opposition Day debate under the new government, the Liberal Democrats slammed ministers over the "shambolic" rollout of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI 2026 Window 2). The funding scheme opened in late September with virtually no notice and closed just six hours later when money ran out. The abrupt closure left farmers across Hinckley and Bosworth without access to a universal baseline payment for the first time since 1945.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) was introduced to support farmers with costs for food production and environmental projects. It was brought in after Brexit to replace the EU’s Basic Payments System (BPS). The scheme has faced issues since its launch under the previous Conservative government. 

The Liberal Democrat motion also called to reverse the damaging Family Farm Tax, and commit an additional £1 billion annually to agricultural and environmental land management. It was voted down in the House of Commons on Wednesday evening 57 ayes to 279 noes, all Conservatives abstained from the vote.

Farmers have faced mounting uncertainty since the Conservatives botched the phase-out of BPS support without viable alternatives in place. The Liberal Democrats warned that the current Labour Government has compounded the crisis, turning vital agricultural support into an administrative scramble while Conservative MPs look the other way.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Michael Mullaney said:

"Farmers in Hinckley and Bosworth working tirelessly to keep food on our tables and protect our countryside, have been categorically betrayed by Conservative MP Luke Evans.

“First their party battered our rural economy with half-baked trade deals, a chaotic transition away from direct payments, and now when given the chance to address this crisis in Parliament, they sat on their hands.

“Meanwhile Labour proved yet again how completely out of touch they are with rural Britain - turning the Sustainable Farming Incentive into a chaotic six-hour frenzy. That is no way to run national agricultural policy.

“The Liberal Democrat’s motion proves we are the only party backing our country’s farmers and won't stop holding the government to account until the agricultural industry gets the support it deserves."