Farmers bring tractor protest to Westminster, causing chaos in central London
Farmers brought rush-hour chaos to Westminster as dozens of tractors descended on central London streets, Azernews reports, citing The Telegraph.
Tractors carrying Union flags or towing haybales displaying the message “Back British Farmers” caused tailbacks as they took part in a “go-slow” convoy to protest over risks to food security.
Amid growing fury from the farming industry at what it says are “substandard imports and dishonest labelling”, around 70 tractors carrying signs reading “no farmers, no food, no future” filtered past Downing Street and Parliament Square from around 6pm.
Amid a series of demands for an end to new trade deals, which farmers claim have hurt their interests, Downing Street made it clear on Monday night that it would be willing to pause trade talks if UK interests were not being furthered.
The campaign groups Save British Farming and Fairness for Farmers of Kent launched the protests over concerns about increasing difficulties faced by the farming industry, which they say are leaving the nation’s food security at risk.
They called for an end to trade deals they say are allowing imports of food produced to standards that would be illegal in the UK and are undercutting British farmers.
Organisers also criticised labelling that allows products to bear a Union flag when they have not been grown or reared in Britain.
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