Those involved in the Leave campaign for the upcoming Brexit referendum in the UK have been strongly criticised for “taking farmers for fools”, by former National Farmers Union (NFU) President, Peter Kendall.
The UK goes to the polls next week where it will vote either to remain within or leave the European Union.
Kendall made the comments after the Leave campaign claimed they could match current funding for farmers if Britain left the EU.
This, the NFU said, is despite warnings from economic experts that leaving would blow a £40 billion hole in the nation’s finances.
The former NFU President said that the Leave campaigners are taking farmers for fools.
“The majority of experts agree that the damage to the economy from leaving the EU would far outweigh any claimed savings.
“Yet still the Leave campaign pledge to fund farming, the science community and local initiatives to the same level as now.”
Farmers are practical people and have to do basic sums on a daily basis; we know that the magical money tree doesn’t exist.
“Promising to spend the same money many times over when experts say it will be in short supply is simply being dishonest.”
According to the NFU, the Leave campaign has made 24 spending commitments totalling over £113 billion.
This is over 10 times the claimed £10 billion net saving from the UK leaving Europe, it said.
If Britain leaves the EU, it is understood by the Remain campaign that public services would be hit by £40 billion in cuts.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has highlighted how in the short term the UK would also face a £20-£40 billion black hole in the public finances.