Sustainable Farming Incentive

Debate between Stephen Morgan and Robert Jenrick

Thursday 15th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Morgan]

I will take no lectures from the Conservatives; they had a scheme that was half-baked and did not deliver anything nor put money in the pockets of farmers.

[Robert Jenrick (Newark) (Reform)]

When I went to my agricultural shows in Nottinghamshire in August, all the farmers told me that this was going to be a complete shambles—and it was a complete shambles. This is not a surprise; everyone knew it was going to be a disaster. In his answer to a previous question, we heard that the Minister knew that the scheme was going to be massively oversubscribed, and yet he proceeded. He said the scheme was half-cocked, but he has now put his name to it. Is he going to apologise for the complete fiasco that he has put my farmers through, and what is he going to do next year to ensure this insult is never applied again?

[Stephen Morgan]

That is a little rich coming from the right hon. Member, who served in the previous Conservative Government, which designed the scheme. If he wants to be constructive and engage with my Department on any particular examples of how we can improve the scheme going forward, I would like to hear from him.