Rishi Sunak tries to shore up rural Tory heartlands in speech telling farmers he is ‘by your side’ and talking up 220m investment in new technology – but is warned ministers must take food security more seriously [Video]

06:03 EST 20 Feb 2024 , updated 06:38 EST 20 Feb 2024

Rishi Sunak moved to shore up rural Tory heartlands today as he told farmers the government is ‘by your side’.

The PM is addressing the National Farmers’ Union conference in Birmingham – after rescheduling Cabinet so he could make a personal appeal.

He heaped praise on the role of farming, and told the audience that he’s ‘got your backs’. 

Mr Sunak played up a £220 million fund to help deploy new technology to help boost productivity in the agriculture – which could mean innovations such as fruit-picking robots to slash the need for migrant workers.

‘It’s farmers who feed us, farmers who embody those British values of strength, resilience, warmth and independence,’ he said.

He stressed his credentials as an MP in a rural constituency, joking: ‘I even tried my hand at milking once, not very successfully, I must say.’

Mr Sunak said farmers work ‘not for praise or high …