Reform MS Laura Anne Jones has slammed Labour’s decision to end the seasonal concession for overseas sheep shearers, warning it shows how out of touch the Government is with Britain’s farming industry.

The concession, which allowed up to 75 highly skilled New Zealand sheep shearers to come to the UK each year before returning home, has now come to an end, leaving farmers facing uncertainty ahead of next year’s shearing season.

The Reform UK Shadow Minister for Food, Farming and Rural Affairs said:“Labour has turned its back on farming and traditional Britain. We are a nation built on wool, yet this Government has decided there is no room for just 75 highly skilled seasonal sheep shearers who come here, do an essential job and then return home.”

“Labour has no problem handing out visas to migrants. But when it comes to 75 highly skilled sheep shearers who arrive, work for a few weeks and then leave, suddenly that’s where they draw the line. According to Labour, they’re the problem. They’re not. Labour is the problem.”

“There is no shortage of people willing to learn. There is a shortage of people with decades of experience. These shearers are vital to British farming, they protect animal welfare and keep the industry moving. Labour doesn’t understand that, and farmers will pay the price once again.”