THE MP for Tiverton and Minehead has secured a new role in Parliament to raise farming and agricultural concerns after she was elected co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Farming.

Rachel Gilmour MP said she was “delighted” after being nominated and elected by Government MPs to co-chair the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Farming for the next year, having already served as vice chair of the same group.

Mrs Gilmour, who previously worked as the Director of Communications for the National Farmers’ Union and Head of Strategy for the Environment Agency, has been using her position as vice chair over the course of the last year to share local issues and concerns with MPs from across the House of Commons.

In the constituency, the Liberal Democrat MP has been working with local farmers to campaign against the Family Farm Tax, as well as pushing for more government support to tackle the huge increase in rural crime.

Just this week, Mrs Gilmour has also supported plans to safeguard Britain’s food security by launching a Farm First training scheme, inspired by Teach First, to encourage more young people into farming.

Speaking on December 8, she said: “As the co-chair of this influential APPG, alongside Labour MP for South West Norfolk Terry Jermy, I will be able to set out and pursue an ambitious agenda to support my farmers in the Tiverton and Minehead constituency over the next year.

“Over the next few weeks, my office will be sending all my farmers a short survey to ensure that the APPG focuses on the issues that really matter and affect them.

“As always, my message to my farmers across Tiverton and Minehead is that I will always support them. I have your backs, and I look forward to working hard to make your voices heard.”