The government risks breaching its manifesto promises if it cuts the £100m from the Environment Land Management Scheme (Elms) which encourages greener land management.

I, along with 19 other Tory MPs and peers have written to the Chancellor and the Environment Secretary, urging them to maintain the initiative. 

In the letter we say that we are “extremely concerned” about reports that the fund could be cut.

“This threatens the livelihoods of farmers, who are struggling like never before with high costs and the impacts of extreme weather events, and would harm our food security too,”

“It will also cast into serious doubt the Government’s ability to hit the 2030 nature recovery target, which your party has consistently said it supports, with an estimated 239,000 hectares less of farmland under Elms if the budget is cut.”

“At a time of significant financial and environmental pressures, cutting this budget would be a short-sighted act of self-harm.”

Full letter below