Truss shows ‘true Remainer colours’ over farming plans

RISHI SUNAK yesterday accused Liz Truss of showing her “true Remainer colours” as the Tory leadership rivals clashed over their plans to help British farmers.

Reforms put forward by Ms Truss could lead to thousands more foreign workers being allowed into the UK each year to temporarily take up agricultural jobs such as picking fruit.

The Foreign Secretary has promised a “short-term expansion” to what is known as the seasonal workers scheme if she becomes prime minister.

But the policy has been criticised by Team Sunak, with a campaign spokesman using the announcement to highlight the fact that Ms Truss backed Remain at the 2016 EU referendum while the former chancellor supported Leave.

The spokesman said: “Liz Truss’s announcement today does nothing for farmers and food.

“She blames Brexit and fails to see the opportunities from it to help farmers and food production, has no plan to tackle inflation which has hit input costs hard, and neglects to mention trade deals because of her record in this area.

“The true Remainer colours are starting to show.”

The current seasonal worker scheme allows for about 40,000 foreign workers to come to the UK for up to six months each year to work in horticulture. The scheme is due to end in 2024.

Ms Truss wants the scheme’s capacity to be increased by thousands of people, the six-month time limit to be extended and for the programme to carry on beyond 2024.

The Truss campaign is arguing for the policy to meet the demands of British farmers, who are concerned about gaps in the harvest workforce.

However, the pledge risks a backlash

‘She blames Brexit and fails to see the opportunities from it to help farmers and food production’

from critics who are likely to question whether Ms Truss should focus more on getting British workers to take up the positions, rather than using foreign labour in the short term to fill the gaps.

Ms Truss said that the “pandemic and cost-of-living crisis have shown it is more vital than ever for us to ensure we have a high-quality and affordable supply of British food”.

She added: “I understand the challenges faced by farmers and they can trust me to deliver the changes they need.”