51AVÊÓÆµ

Framing SFI closure as a triumph added 'insult to injury', says Efra chair

The Government has pulled the rug out from under farmers across England, according to Alastair Carmichael

Chris Brayford
clock • 4 min read
Lib Dem MP Alistair Carmichael said: "The decision to close SFI on Tuesday (March 11) without any notice has provoked predictable and justifiable fury, but doing it with a press release that sought to present it as some sort of triumph added insult to injury. It was almost like a return to the glory days of the Soviet Union, when the Politburo would boast about their advances in meeting their targets in the five-year plan for tractor production."
Image:

Lib Dem MP Alistair Carmichael said: "The decision to close SFI on Tuesday (March 11) without any notice has provoked predictable and justifiable fury, but doing it with a press release that sought to present it as some sort of triumph added insult to injury. It was almost like a return to the glory days of the Soviet Union, when the Politburo would boast about their advances in meeting their targets in the five-year plan for tractor production."

Efra Committee Chair Alastair Carmichael has criticised the tone of language used by Defra to announce its closure of Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) applications for farmers seeking to benefit nature,...

To continue reading...

Already a member? Login for full access.

New to Farmers Guardian? Register for 1 free article per week or become a member for unlimited access to essential farming news and insights.

article-img-580x358

Ìý

More on Politics

Farming Matters: "Are governments listening or have they just learnt to say the right words?"

Farming Matters: "Are governments listening or have they just learnt to say the right words?"

Rory Hutchings, partner and head of agriculture and estates at HCR Law, discusses the current rhetoric on farming coming from Westminster and the Senedd in Wales.

clock 11 July 2026 • 4 min read
Gov scraps mandatory public consultation on data centres amid ongoing concerns for the countryside

Gov scraps mandatory public consultation on data centres amid ongoing concerns for the countryside

The changes are expected to cut pre-application time by up to 12 months and save developers £1 billion on major infrastructure projects

Mia Willemsen
clock 08 July 2026 • 3 min read
Defra breached law when allowing farmers to use pesticides, watchdog finds

Defra breached law when allowing farmers to use pesticides, watchdog finds

The assessment process for emergency authorisations of pesticides is now to be updated following the investigation by the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP)

Mia Willemsen
clock 07 July 2026 • 2 min read