I am writing specifically with regards to the alleged support that Siobhan Baillie has shown our farmers.

Firstly, in the aftermath of the severe flooding Ms Baillie said “A quick look at our farmers’ waterlogged fields show that they are having an incredibly tough time and any flooded home or business is devastating. I believe there must be constant focus on flood prevention funding”.

Nice words but she then voted against setting up an independent review into the floods including the government’s response, the adequacy of the funding provided for flood defences and prevention.

Secondly, Siobhan has consistently voted against protecting food standards in the UK as part of the new Agriculture Bill. How does encouraging the importing of low-quality food products that do not meet British standards help farmers and consumers? Does our MP really believe that competition from cheaper imported goods will benefit British agriculture and local food supply chains?

Finally, on May 13, Siobhan voted against a Coronavirus Emergency Food Plan which included financial assistance for farmers hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. This despite her claims in the SNJ to have been “..lobbying ministers for several weeks for the support as many farms have suffered a significant drop in demand because restaurants and cafes have closed”.

I see a clear contrast between what Ms Baillie is telling our farmers, many of whom voted for her, and how she is voting in the House of Commons.

PS; the information on our MP’s voting record is from https://www.theyworkforyou.com <https://www.theyworkforyou.com/> which sources it’s information from https://www.publicwhip.org.uk <https://www.publicwhip.org.uk/>.

Lucas Schoemaker

Stroud Trinity Towncouncillor