The MP for Louth and Horncastle has set out her “bold vision” for Britain’s countryside, pledging to back farmers, cut bureaucracy and “restore common sense” to farming and environmental policy.

Victoria Atkins, who is the Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, was speaking at a rural rally at the recent Conservative Party annual conference in Birmingham.

She thanked farmers and rural communities for their campaigning efforts over the past year, which helped force the Labour government into a partial U-turn on its inheritance tax proposals affecting family farms and businesses.

However, she warned that Labour’s policies continue to place significant pressure on farming families, investment and food production.

Victoria Atkins, MP for Louth and Horncastle, with supporters at a rural rally at the Conservative Party's annual conference.

placeholder image — Victoria Atkins, MP for Louth and Horncastle, with supporters at a rural rally at the Conservative Party's annual conference.

Ms Atkins said that farmers and fishermen make difficult choices every day to produce food, care for the environment and support rural economies, and argued that the government should be supporting rather than hindering those efforts.

Labour was increasing costs for people who lived in rural Lincolnshire, imposing additional regulation and reducing support for farming and nature recovery.

And these decisions, she argued, were damaging confidence across the farming sector at a time when food security, climate change and environmental challenges were becoming increasingly important.

Setting out the Conservatives’ alternative approach, Ms Atkins announced plans for a major restructuring of DEFRA (Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), designed to make the department faster, simpler and more accountable.

As part of those reforms, a future Conservative government would abolish the Natural England and the Environment Agency organisations, returning effective powers to direct ministerial control and removing unnecessary duplication and bureaucracy.

Ms Atkins said: "Farmers choose every day to work hard, whatever the weather, to feed our country and care for our countryside. They deserve a government that works with them, not against them.

"We would restore common sense, improve accountability and ensure Whitehall serves rural communities rather than creating obstacles for them.”

The MP feels many people feel the current system doesn’t work for the custodians of the countryside. These reforms would make it easier for farmers and land managers to access advice and funding, and build on successful initiatives, such as farming clusters and landscape recovery projects.

In addition, Ms Atkins announced plans for a tough new environmental enforcement authority to tackle fly-tipping, waste crime, pollution and wildlife crime, ensuring stronger action against those who damage the countryside.

She added: “We can protect nature, strengthen food security and support rural economic growth at the same time.

"Our approach is not about weakening protections. It is about making them work better for both the environment and the people who live and work in our countryside.

“The last year has shown that when Conservatives, farmers and rural communities work together, we can achieve great things.

"We will continue fighting for British farming, for food security and for the rural way of life. Only the Conservatives have a plan to restore common sense and get Britain working again.”