The UK rightly prides itself on having some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world, and I know farmers in Waveney Valley take real pride in producing food to those standards. The principle should be simple and fair; if a practice is too cruel to be produced in Britain, it should also be too cruel to be imported into Britain. Anything less undercuts our farmers and compromises the values we hold dear as a nation.

Farming is the backbone of our rural communities and a vital part of our national life. Too often, farmers have been treated as an afterthought. Successive Governments have failed to provide the certainty and respect farmers deserve.

From the deeply concerning inheritance tax proposals, which I consistently challenged and pressed Ministers to make fairer, to the abrupt changes to the Sustainable Farming Incentive, farmers have faced instability at a time when they need support. While the Government has since adjusted its approach to inheritance tax, further progress is needed to deliver a genuinely fair system.

Abrupt changes to the Sustainable Farming Incentive send the wrong signal to farmers who are trying to plan for the future. These are precisely the kinds of programmes that should be strengthened, investing in farmers to help them transition to environmentally sustainable farming practices. Yet this Government has created uncertainty where there should be stability, making it harder for farmers to invest in sustainable farming practices. If we are serious about supporting British agriculture and protecting our environment, we must provide long-term clarity, proper funding, and a genuine partnership with the farming community.