Luke Charters elected chair of APPG on food security

Luke Charters, MP for York Outer, was elected chair of the all-party parliamentary group for food security, following a meeting with MPs from across the political spectrum.

With an officer team comprising of Jim Shannon (DUP MP for Strangford), Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative MP for Bridlington and the Wolds), and Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire), the cross-party group intends to advise government policy on food security.

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Working closely with organisations such as the British Egg Council, the British Poultry Council, the National Pig Association, and the National Farmer’s Union, the group announced its leadership on Back British Farming Day - an occasion where parliamentarians discussed the best ways to support farmers and growers across the United Kingdom.

Speaking to The Press, Mr Charters said: “York Outer is a lot of suburban communities but it’s rural too, there’s a lot of agriculture in York that we should be proud of. With York being on a flood plain, it impacts on our food security and our ability to produce good quality crops.

“I’m also interested in protecting our biosecurity with diseases like blue tongue and avian influenza creeping into the UK.

Members of the APPG on Food Security (Image: Twitter)

“The group is really exciting because it’s not just a Labour thing – it’s a cross party with MPs from other parties and support from other organisations. We launched it yesterday as it was Back British Farming Day (September 11). I think we have a real opportunity with the new government to make food security a priority.

“The fact I was approached because of the nature of York Outer is great - it’s great that the farming sector and MPs who are interested in agriculture valued having a Labour chair for the group. It was quite a bit of work going through the process of getting it formally set up and registered within parliament."

He continued: "Hodgeson Carrot Farm in Crockey Hill gave me a tour recently. To be an MP, you have to visit places to have a better understanding of things – it’s his carrots that end up in food all across the country and his workers were showing me the drainage they used to protect the crop.

"We can’t take anything for granted in this world, the global food supply is so volatile, and we need to focus on protecting our production. Obviously, we have Askham Bryan and University of York – it’s almost like a little ecosystem where we can be a world leader here in York."