Agri Study Tour- Westminster

18 Mar Agri Study Tour- Westminster

On the 11th February 12 of our members headed down to London for a series of Parliamentary meetings and discussions along with a guided tour of Westminster. After an early start and fuelled by Wetherspoons coffee, we made the first flight from Edinburgh Airport to London Stansted, then a series of train and underground to navigate our way into the centre of London. Our trip to Westminster was by invitation of John Lamont, MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk. We met his assistant Matthew McPherson, under the famous Big Ben clock – the iconic skyline of the Houses of Parliament. With us checked in and through the security we were led to our first meeting of the day with John Lamont MP, John Cooper MP and Irene Campbell MP. It was our first opportunity to learn about the Parliament and their roles representing voters, especially those is rural areas. We had an excellent discussion about opportunities in farming and the challenges associated with getting young people started in the industry. It was then time to head across to the House of Commons for Prime Ministers Questions, where some of the group had been able to secure tickets for the viewing gallery inside the House. It was fascinating to witness the heated debate and discussions between both party leaders and back benchers on the hot topics of the day. Politics in its purest form! However, I’m sure some of SAYFC’s debates teams could’ve given them a run for their money!

That afternoon, after a tour of the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Hall, we went to our next meeting with Alistair Carmicheal, MP for Orkney and Shetland. Mr Carmicheal also sits as the Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. We had a great conversation with him about the future of the industry, subsidies and also the importance of local elections coming up in Scotland in May. Our day was then finished off by a visit to the famous Farmers Club for dinner and an evening socialising and meeting with club members and staff. We were welcomed personally by Didi Wheeler, the CEO and Club secretary of the Farmers Club, who explained if’s beginnings, its history, and the role it plays today. The hospitality we were shown by the club was tremendous and the 3-course meal hit very high reviews.

On Thursday morning we were back out and straight into meetings again, this time at Scotland

House, the Scottish Governments base in London. The office is mainly used as a meeting space, somewhere to host international delegates and be the representative of Scottish Government right in the heart of the capital. Each room was adorned with Scottish produce, from oat cakes, whisky, tartan, ice cream, crisps, tablet and some Hunter wellies, even a police stab proof vest, which are apparently another of Scotland’s many contributions to the world. We met with Sophia Murphy, Counsellor for Primary Industries and New Zealand delegate to the OECD Committee for Agriculture. Sophia explained the history of New Zealand and its agricultural industry, its policies and structure. It was fascinating to hear the differences and similarities between our own domestic industry and theirs, such as their non-subsidised production system. We were then joined by Jamie Durkin from Scotland Food and Drink, who highlighted the organisation’s role in promoting high quality and sustainable food to our own domestic market and abroad. Following on from our morning meetings it was time for some of the group to start their journeys back home. The remainder of the group enjoyed some brief free time to see some of the sights of London and make a lunch stop at the famous Borough Market on the south bank. We then bid a fond (and slightly exhausted) farewell to the Capital and embarked on the journey back to Edinburgh Airport, which as we left the plane, welcomed us home with typical Scottish weather – freezing cold temperatures and wintery snow showers! We have to say a massive thank you to our local MP’s who extended their invitation to see the Parliament in action and get a glimpse into the beating heart of UK government.