English Earlier this month Labour won a landslide victory in the 2024 UK General Election. However you’re feeling after the results, a new government presents us with a fresh opportunity to advocate for real change in our food, faming and land-use systems, meaning it’s time to kick into action.
In the days following the election result, Prime Minister Keir Starmer began to announce his Cabinet. With little change made to his Shadow Cabinet, Steve Reed (MP for Streatham and Croydon North) was appointed as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Daniel Zeichner (MP for Cambridges) has been named as the new Farming Minister.
While many of us mobilised in the run up to the general election, the journey in some ways has only just begun.
Out of the 650 seats, 334 new MPs have been elected, and will be taking a seat in the House of Commons for the very first time. It’s important that we engage MPs – both old and new – from the very start of this new government term. As landworkers leading the way with agroecology, we are in a perfect position to get them up to speed on issues facing small-scale agroecological producers, to highlight the benefits of our farming and land-use systems, and to instigate relationships that we can build upon throughout their time in office.
As part of our ‘Theory of Change’ model we recognise that social change must be brought about both through grassroots organising and mobilisation as well through intervening in political, legislative and institutional spheres. Engaging with MPs and policymakers to advocate for changes on a policy and legislative level is a key interventionist approach for the agroecology and food sovereignty movement, and something that we can all do in our respective constituencies.
That’s why we’re launching our new campaign ‘Landworkers Who Lobby’, to support our members, supporters and the wider movement to engage with MPs and be a voice for agroecology and food sovereignty. As a starting point, we’ve put together some helpful resources:
Maybe you’re a market gardener who is struggling to make ends meet? Maybe you’re an activist who’s passionate about food, land and climate justice? Maybe you’re a young person trying to get into farming but can’t access the training opportunities to get started?
Whatever issues we hold close to our hearts, that’s where we need to begin.
If we build good relationships with our local MPs it can open the door for:
1. Bringing about change on a community level
– Your MP could write to your local council to support your planning application for you farm or CSA
– They could be a figurehead for your local campaign to get more press and media attention, for example to stop the expansion of factory farms in your local area
– They can take your local issue to Westminster, for example by asking a question at Prime Ministers’ Questions
– You can invite them to speak at your events to raise awareness about local issues and campaigns that matter to you
2. Bringing about change to the wider food, farming and land-use system on a national and international level
– Your MP can introduce a Private Members’ Bill to parliament, for example a Right to Food Bill
– You can ask your MP to take part in parliamentary debates and raise certain points or questions
– MPs can host events in Westminster, which is a great way to raise the profile of our campaigns and engage other MPs and Lords, such as LWA’s ‘Soy No More’ campaign launch event in Westminster’s Jubilee Room
– Some MPs may even hold positions in the cabinet or be government ministers which means they can have a direct influence on shaping law and policy
To kick things off we will be hosting an online workshop on Monday July 29th 6-8pm, inviting our members and supporters to work together with LWA Campaigns Team staff to identify key constituencies, MPs and leverage points, and draw up a plan for mobilisation and MP engagement over the coming months. You can register for the workshop yma.
A note on food, farming and devolution
The 2024 UK General Election elected 650 Members of Parliament into Westminster. These MPs are responsible for legislating and shaping policy on a UK level, but because food, farming and the environment are devolved issues, these MPs will only be able to influence policy on these issues in England. However, Westminster MPs elected in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will be able to influence UK-wide law and policy on issues like trade, welfare and tax.
The next Northern Ireland parliamentary election is due to take place in January 2025, and Scotland and Wales are expected to have their parliamentary elections in May 2026. LWA will be mobilising around these elections nearer the time, however we encourage you to reach out to you current MSPs, MS or MLA in the meantime to build bridges between our grassroots movement and the devolved administrations. Please click on the following links to find out more about the work we’re doing in: Wales (LWA Cymru) a Scotland.
