Why Reform and Labour are receiving the same support from Scotland's farming community, poll reveals

Reform UK and Labour have received an almost equal share of votes from the farming community, a new poll has suggested.

With less than a week to go before the UK election, weekly farming magazine Farmers Guardian, which is tailored to farmers across Britain, asked its readers which party would be best to lead the country.

The poll showed a majority for the Conservatives, with support for Reform UK growing since Nigel Farage took over as leader of the party.

Of more than 1,000 respondents to the farmer poll, 33% voted Conservative; 23% voted Labour; 22% voted Reform UK; 12% voted Liberal Democrat; 4% voted Green Party; 3% voted ‘other’; with 2% for Plaid Cymru and 1% for the SNP | Farmers Guardian

But the votes for Labour and Reform were virtually neck and neck.

Of more than 1,000 respondents, 33 per cent voted Conservative; 23 per cent voted Labour; 22 per cent voted Reform UK; 12 per cent voted Liberal Democrat; 4 per cent voted Green Party; 3 per cent voted ‘other’; with 2 per cent for Plaid Cymru and 1 per cent for the SNP.

Olivia Midgley, editor of the Farmers Guardian, said the poll showed how farmers and those in rural communities differed from the national picture when it came to politics, which was seen with voting during Brexit.

Ms Midgley said: “With more than 70 per cent of the UK farmed landscape (18.6 million hectares), rural areas have a huge amount of sway and it will be interesting to see if Labour’s predicted landslide is as dramatic as national polling suggests.”

The editor said many farmers had become disenfranchised with the Tories after 14 years in power. Meanwhile the prospect of a Labour government was a “concern” for many farmers, with the party’s controversial proposals on right to roam, doing away with inheritance tax relief and ending the badger cull, she said.

Victoria Vyvyan, president of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which represents 28,000 farmers, landowners and rural businesses, said: “Voters expect all parties to have a robust and ambitious strategy to generate economic growth in the countryside, and those that do will pick up support at the ballot box. 

“Such a strategy must include a realistic agricultural budget and serious reform to the planning system.”

Labour is forecast to win the general election next week, according to national polls. But farming leaders, including president of the National Farmers Union Scotland Martin Kennedy, said they were less than impressed with the party for failing to mention the agriculture budget in its party manifesto.