Volunteers’ Week runs from 1-7 June each year to celebrate and thank volunteers across the UK. NHS organisations in Lincolnshire would like to shine a spotlight on their volunteers, to say a big thank you for their hard work over the past year, and during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s Volunteers’ Week is unavoidably different, with the absence of events and face to face celebrations. With social distancing and lockdown, many volunteers have changed their ways of supporting the NHS.

Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT), Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS), United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) and NHS Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) are coming together to thank NHS volunteers for their flexibility and ongoing dedication to their roles.

LPFT’s Volunteer Coordinator, Jacky Secker said: “Our volunteers play such a vital role in supporting the recovery of our service users, but also helping family members and carers. They are there to offer not only a friendly face and a helping hand; they offer skills, knowledge, advice and experience.

“For us as a mental health and learning disability trust, our volunteers have sometimes been former patients who want to give something back to LPFT, as part of their own journey to recovery after a period of ill health, using their experiences to benefit others. For other volunteers it may be that they just want to help support NHS services, learn new skills or interact with others.”

During the COVID-19 lockdown LPFT volunteer, Helen Ratcliffe, has been supporting mental health service users in and around Skegness, by collecting essential shopping items and creating craft boxes for them to use as therapeutic activities at home.

Helen said: “Volunteering is a wonderful use of my time. I thoroughly enjoy it and it’s great to put something back into the NHS. Using my spare time to support others is really rewarding, especially when you know people really need that help – like now during this pandemic.”

LCHS has been paying tribute to two best friends who volunteered to provide daily deliveries of PPE including gowns, hand gel and gloves to community hospitals and nurses.

Andy, a self-employed property developer and Wayne, a former retained firefighter for 16 years at Sleaford Fire Station, who usually works as an electrician/satellite TV aerial installer. With the coronavirus lockdown, the pair decided they wanted to fill their unexpected spare time with something worthwhile.

Andy said: “My wife works for LCHS and suggested I could volunteer to deliver much needed PPE across the county to hospitals and community nurses.

“I’ve been out and about five days a week with my van packed full of PPE. I’ve been careful to follow the Government guidance and maintain social distancing – ringing people’s door bells and leaving the PPE on the ground outside.”

Over at ULHT, their Voluntary Services Manager Andrew Tysoe explains how vital their volunteers are. Andrew said: “Without our terrific troop of volunteers, our hospitals simply could not function as they do.

“Prior to coronavirus, our amazing volunteers dedicated a combined 4,000 hours each month, which equates to more than 200,000 positive interactions with patients and families each year.

“We have also been very fortunate to have additional volunteers who have joined us during lockdown who have been off work or furloughed. Their contribution, and those of all of our volunteers, is invaluable and makes such a difference.

“Volunteer roles in the NHS are extremely varied, from meeting and greeting patients and visitors at our hospitals, to helping serve meals on the wards and supporting staff with non-clinical jobs. Being a volunteer is also good for you and can help reduce loneliness and increase your physical activity.”

For more information about volunteering opportunities with your local NHS in Lincolnshire, please visit their websites: www.lpft.nhs.uk, www.lincolnshirecommunityhealthservices.nhs.uk, www.ulh.nhs.uk.  

Government and many landlords have put in place temporary measures to help tenants keep their homes in the current crisis. Sustaining people’s incomes through the furlough scheme and calling a halt to evictions have created a temporary respite.

But what happens when those temporary measures end?

The Chartered Institute of Housing has today published proposals aimed at avoiding a potentially disastrous spike in evictions once the current protections end.

Working with barrister Liz Davies, CIH has developed a detailed set of proposals to avoid a crisis that could leave thousands homeless and cost landlords and local authorities millions.

CIH director of policy James Prestwich said: “For the eight million households who are tenants of private or social landlords, a key part of the hardship and suffering during the crisis has been the struggle to pay their rent and worrying if they will be able to keep their home. If our society and the economy are to recover from the crisis, it is vital that these fears are allayed quickly and thoroughly.

“We do not start from a good place. Local authorities’ and social landlords’ resources for dealing with homelessness were stretched before the epidemic and could be overwhelmed if there is a sudden growth in evictions due to rent arrears.”

The hard facts

Of 5.6 million workers at high risk of losing their jobs because of the crisis, more than 1.2 million are private tenants.

Around 2.6 million private tenants have already missed a rent payment during the crisis.

Around a third of the ‘key workers’ who have kept services and supplies running earn less than £10 per hour. Many live in households dependent on two incomes to pay the rent, and where partners may have lost their jobs.

The furlough scheme helps to sustain incomes but has a shortfall of 20 per cent if not made good by employers. When the scheme ends people may lose their jobs, have lower earnings than before or have used up their savings. Protection against eviction currently ends in June. Even if it is extended, landlords are still able to start the eviction process if arrears accrue, resulting in a potentially massive number of eviction actions within a short period.

James said: “The burden cannot simply be put onto landlords. That could lead to defaults on mortgages and enforced sales, which could deplete the sector just when that capacity is most needed. This needs government action too.”

What is CIH’s ‘post-Covid’ solution?

Extend protection for tenants until evictions can take place safely.

Prevent evictions solely arising from COVID-related arrears.

End section 21 evictions.

Make sure that payment plans for COVID-related arrears do not result in eviction provided the tenant agrees with and complies with the plan over a timescale of up to two years.

Reform universal credit: end 5-week wait; temporarily suspend suspend the benefit cap and the two-child limit; increase LHA to 50th percentile of rents for a limited period; end ‘shared accommodation rate’ for under 35s.

Increase emergency fund for discretionary housing payments and ensure they are more widely available to help with rent arrears outside scope of universal credit.

Introduce an interest-free loan scheme to cover landlords’ loss of rental income and give landlords mortgage holidays on rented properties to pass relief on to tenants.

Consider one-off payments to stabilise local authority and housing association finances where these have been hit by COVID-related arrears.

CIH chief executive Gavin Smart said: “While the measures put in place by government and landlords are helping millions of people during this awful time, we have to think about what comes next. Simply ending all these measures without a plan to cope with the arrears built up through the outbreak risks pushing families into homelessness and landlords into bankruptcy, just at a time when a stable housing sector is needed to help rebuild our economy.

“Our proposals build on the work we have done with homelessness groups including Crisis and Shelter, as well as housing providers. They are practical and proportionate to the threat facing millions of people. We look forward to working with the government to make them part of our national post-COVID recovery plan.”

Aldi has introduced a traffic light system at the entrances to stores designed to control how many customers are inside at any one time and to help keep shoppers and staff safe.

The automated system signals a green light when customers can enter, and a red light when they must wait outside.

The system underwent a successful trial and was rolled out nationally this week.

The signals are designed to follow individual store customer limits so that people inside can stick to the two-metre social distancing rule.

Customers queuing outside are still asked to give priority to NHS and blue light workers, who are allowed to go to the front of the queue on arrival.

Richard Thornton, communications director for Aldi, said: “The protection and safety of our customers and employees is our top priority and this new system is an accurate and effective way to allow us to control customer numbers in stores.

“The system’s trial was well received by our customers and we will be gradually rolling this new social distancing measure out nationwide from this week.”

Aldi will continue to have other social distancing measures in place in store, including protective screens at checkouts, markers on shop floors to help people keep their distance and hand sanitizers and wipes for customers to use.

Fire crews from Grantham and Corby Glen attended Oakhurst Close, off Somerby Hill, last night, to a controlled burn that got out of control.

It spread to several   properties’ hedges and a nearby shed.

The crews used three hosereel jets & two thermal imaging cameras to extinguish.

Ruth Edwards MP will be submitting a bid to secure a share of Government funding to improve local rail services with the support of neighbouring MPs, Alicia Kearns (Melton) and Gareth Davies (Grantham).

The Department for Transport’s £500 million Restoring Your Railway Fund is earmarked for projects to restore lost railway connections to communities.

This line currently extends between Nottingham to Skegness, through Grantham, Lincolnshire, and the proposal is to improve services in both directions.

The project will greatly benefit local communities, particularly in rural areas, where rail services are infrequent and simple journeys take too long.

Transforming Radcliffe on Trent into viable commuter stop will encourage residents to make use of the railway.

Extended gaps between services and an unsuitable train timetable – with some services running from the city of Nottingham to Radcliffe on Trent stopping too early – are among some of the motivations behind the bid.

Congestion on the nearby A52 highway network as a result of ongoing work makes the problem of reliable public transport one Mrs Edwards is keen to address.

The full business case for successful bids will be submitted to the Department for Transport in June.

Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones says…

Go through this line by line with any vulnerable residents you are in contact with.

Vitally important we don’t allow criminals an opportunity to defraud and scam our communities.

South Kesteven District Council is supporting this year’s Volunteers Week (1-7 June) by thanking all those working to help others during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The council wants to recognise everyone whose voluntary work has proved so invaluable. Certificates of thanks, signed by SKDC Leader Cllr Kelham Cooke, will be sent to more than 50 volunteer groups.

The groups, all registered with SKDC’s Community Hub, have around 1,500 volunteers between them. Many are newly-formed and are working together to tackle local issues. Their work ranges from picking up shopping for vulnerable residents to providing a friendly phone call service for those who may be isolated or lonely.

Cllr Cooke said: “Volunteers are among the true unsung heroes within our communities. They willingly and freely give their time to help others, despite often having very busy lives themselves.

“Volunteers Week has added significance this year because of how people have stepped up to support the vulnerable, and each other, as we face the challenges of lockdown and the Coronavirus. We have some amazing people in South Kesteven working tirelessly for others and we should all be proud of the vital role they are playing.”

Cabinet Member for Communities, Cllr Annie Mason, said there had been an amazing grassroots community response to help meet the unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic.

She said: “The overwhelming response demonstrates that when the going gets tough, our communities come together to support each other.

“Volunteers are the lifeblood of our communities and it is more important than ever that we unite and look out for each other.  Volunteers Week is a great opportunity to simply say thank-you to our local heroes.”

SKDC will use the nationally recognised event to turn the spotlight on local volunteering groups with a social media campaign to recognise their achievements.

It is keen to inspire others to volunteer and is working alongside agencies, including the Lincolnshire Community and Voluntary Service (LCVS), to ensure that current restrictions do not prevent a strong show of appreciation and support.

Angela Dobson, from Lincolnshire and Community Voluntary Service, said increased online support and guidance for volunteer groups was available.

She said: “We have seen volunteers give their time, knowledge and skills selflessly to help others and to bring communities together. We are not able to hold our normal Volunteers Week events but are determined not to let that stop us letting these incredible people know how valuable they are.”

Dave Jones says….

My nephew Dan Selvey and his son Ben in this heat tyesterday morning, cycled from Nottingham to Grantham along side the Canal. 

Poor Ben struggled with hayfever and aching legs but he managed it.

 Well done Ben only 9 years old , Dan and the two other escort cyclists, who have raised over £1400 for the NHS when I was last informed .

He was hoping to raise £500 
so they have done done very well .   

If anybody would like to donate please do.https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/dan-selvey

Following report of three men stealing fuel from a lorry on the A1, Grantham police located the suspicious vehicle.

The three occupants were arrested for theft of fuel.

Suspected stolen fuel and a makeshift pump were found on the vehicle.

The investigation continues.

Wetherspoons show what pubs will look like when re-opened

Supporting Our Parish

An important message from Fr Stuart, Rector of St Wulfram’s

During this difficult time when our church buildings are closed, we are still a church; meeting virtually for prayer services and fellowship, loving our neighbours by offering practical support to the vulnerable, and caring for our communities. 

The work within St Wulfram’s parish and community is reliant on people’s generosity, a generosity that is a hallmark of a lived-out faith and a testament to it.

We give to our church in a variety of ways, but with the closure of all our buildings we cannot receive all the gifts that we usually would, so we really need your help now. 

If you are able to give more at this time, simply click on the picture below to make your donation.

Ticket sales for LotterySK are holding up well during the COVID-19 crisis, with several significant winners in recent weeks.

Five lucky ticket-holders each scooped a £250 cash windfall in South Kesteven District Council’s community lottery between 4 April and 9 May.

Three were supporters of Dementia Support South Lincs, and the others had bought weekly draw tickets to help fund Ropsley Village Hall and Three Counties Dog Rescue.

LotterySK remains on course to deliver £67,000 to local good causes in the current year, and organisers and supporters of its 108 good causes have been thanked by Cllr Annie Mason, SKDC Cabinet Member for Communities.

She said: “In difficult times like these fund-raising for the many different community groups and good causes across the district becomes even more important. Lockdown has clearly not stopped the good work.

“We are extremely lucky in South Kesteven to have such a strong network of not only volunteers to run vital groups and charities, but also loyal supporters who keep buying tickets to provide all-important funding.”

Registering to start fund-raising a good cause with LotterySK is simple, and there is a double bonus for anyone buying a ticket. Not only are they helping their favourite good cause but every week they stand a chance of winning cash prizes.

60% of every weekly £1 lottery ticket goes to support good causes in South Kesteven. Every ticket has a one in 50 chance of winning and there is a top prize of £25,000. The 27 June draw also offers the chance to win fruit and vegetable deliveries for a year.

To buy tickets, register as a good cause or find useful for groups on how to encourage ticket sales go to www.lotterysk.co.uk

This quick survey is to gather local views to help Lincolnshire Community Foundation understand what support needs to be funded in local communities post the COVID-19 crisis to help people rebuild their lives. 

The link is  https://forms.gle/bgF7eDA3DpmWuKmS7

Lincolnshire Community Foundation are distributing the National Emergencies Trust funding across Lincolnshire to support people and communities affected by COVID-19. 

Following recent recruitment Active Lincolnshire is delighted to announce the appointment of Mark Locking as Chair of the Board of Directors and Emma Tatlow as Chief Executive Officer.

Active Lincolnshire is a charitable company whose vision is for everybody in Lincolnshire to be active, every day.

The organisation works with numerous partners across Lincolnshire with the aim of making a positive difference through physical activity to the health and wellbeing of communities.

Mark Locking joins Active Lincolnshire as Chair of the Board, succeeding Dennis Bell. Mark is currently Managing Director of the Lincoln College Group.

He has been involved with a number of key initiatives directly related to sport and physical activity throughout his career and is a keen sports person, having played and coached in a number of sports, including elite level futsal.

The board have recruited Emma Tatlow as CEO of Active Lincolnshire. Emma brings a wealth of experience, and transferable skills to the role including countywide connections, as well as passion and vision.

She has lived and worked in Lincolnshire for over ten years, predominantly in the tourism sector and in her leisure time enjoys a range of physical activity and participates in triathlon. 

Mike Diaper, Executive Director, Children, Young People and tackling Inactivity at Sport England said:

“I am delighted that Mark and Emma are now on board at Active Lincolnshire. Too many people in Lincolnshire are inactive and missing out on all the benefit from moving and being active.  These challenges will have been heightened by Covid-19 and the lockdown. 

“The Active Partnership has a vital role in working with partners to find local solutions to help people build physical activity into their lives in a way which makes sense for them.”

Mark Locking commented on his appointment; “I am very excited and proud to have been appointed as the new Chair for Active Lincolnshire and serve the county of Lincolnshire which has provided me so many opportunities in life.

“Exercise and physical activity play a critical role in society for young and old to develop the competencies and behaviours to be successful in life and promote good physical and mental health and well-being. This coupled with the impact physical activity and sport can have on wider health outcomes excites me to help Active Lincolnshire with their role.

“I am looking forward to establishing more opportunities to collaborate with partners across the county to see what collective impact we can have on activity levels within our communities.”

Emma Tatlow commented on her appointment as CEO: “I am delighted to be working with the Active Lincolnshire team, the Board and our stakeholders to lead the physical activity agenda in the county. Together, we can increase the levels of activity across the county to support healthy lifestyles and communities.

“Through an insight driven collaborative approach I am looking forward to building new partnerships that support the people of Lincolnshire realise the benefits of becoming more active.

“The current pandemic has had and will continue to have an impact on the physical and mental health of the people of Lincolnshire; working with partners we are working to support those who will benefit from being more physically active during this time and beyond.”

Active Lincolnshire would like to thank outgoing chair Dennis Bell for his contribution and commitment to the organisation over many years and Jo Metcalfe, who has stepped down from her role on the board.

Also joining the board is Kate Truscott who becomes Vice Chair. Kate has spent the majority of her working life over the past 25 years in the public sector, and in the NHS in particular, specialising in human resource management. She has a particular interest in public health and mental health and well-being.

Active Lincolnshire is one of 43 Active Partnerships across England that are working to make physical activity and sport a part of everyone’s life, regardless of age or background. Mainly funded by Sport England, Active Lincolnshire helps to deliver their strategy, Towards an Active Nation, across Lincolnshire. This strategy focuses on groups that traditionally are more likely to be inactive, such as women and girls, people living with a disability or health condition or those from less affluent backgrounds.

Active Lincolnshire is currently focused on helping the sport and physical fitness sector to access the support and advice they need at this difficult time, as well as encouraging everyone in Lincolnshire to stay active and healthy during the coronavirus pandemic. For more information about Active Lincolnshire’s work visit www.activelincolnshire.com

A former Victorian school in Grantham is up for sale for nearly £1 million – and it presents the opportunity for someone to create their own ‘Grand Design’ style home.

The characterful Old School House, in Station Road East, Grantham, has been placed on the market by estate agents Savills.

The building, which dates back to 1884 and extended in 1896, is being offered by the estate agents on behalf of a private client.

It closed as a school in 1977 when it was transferred to Trent Road

In recent years it became a retail centre, with individual businesses selling antiques, furniture, art, records and garden statues.

It was also home to the highly popular Schoolroom Cafe until it closed 10 years ago.

Savills says says the “unrivalled location” should make it attractive to prospective buyers, who can purchase it with offers starting from £895,000.

The company adds the site, which has parking, could play host to a number of business types, including showrooms, offices, a leisure and studio or workshop space, provided planning consent is gained.

Alternatively the building is also available for rent, starting from£7.50 per sq ft – it has accommodation ranging in size from 500 sq ft to 17,126 sq ft.

Victor Ktori, head of office at Savills Nottingham, said he is hoping there will be a lot interest in the property.138212091369

“Situated in the heart of Grantham town centre adjacent to the mainline railway station, the Old School House provides a rare opportunity to lease or purchase an attractive period property in an unrivalled location,” he said.

“Suitable for a number of alternative uses, the site also provides future development potential subject to the correct planning permission.

“For this reason, we expect to receive a significant number of enquiries from interested parties looking to take advantage of the unique space.”

Following recent government guidance, St Barnabas Hospice has outlined plans to reopen its Lincolnshire charity shops.

St Barnabas Hospice is a Lincolnshire-based charity which has 26 shops across the county. Since 2012, the hospice has sold an incredible 750,000 items with a turnover of £16,000,000 through these shops.

It was a huge blow for the charity when they had to close their shop doors because of the coronavirus outbreak, but they are now making plans for a gradual reopening to the public.

Their shops are due to remain closed until the end of June at the earliest as staff work hard to ensure staff, volunteers, donors and customers can work, volunteer, donate and shop safely. Once safe, there will be a phased reopening beginning with their popular Birchwood shop in Lincoln.

The house clearance and furniture collection service will also remain closed until the end of June.

Caroline Peach, Head of Retail at St Barnabas Hospice, said, “We are busy sourcing additional PPE and perfecting safe donating and shopping procedures. This means that in the short term at least, our shops will seem very different to before. Everyone has been so patient, and we appreciate how supportive our customers are.

“Before we can open any of the shops, we need to reintroduce item donations at our warehouse in Lincoln. Plans are currently underway for a ‘Book and Bring’ Donation Drive-Thru at the warehouse on Cardinal Close, which we are really excited about. People will be able to book a time slot to bring their donations and our car park has a fantastic one-way system so supporters can essentially use it like a drive-thru!”

The Hospice currently has reduced options for redistributing items that can’t be sold in their charity shops, which means they are asking their donors to focus on quality over quantity when selecting which items to donate. They will be releasing more details on this in due course.

Details for the Donation Drive-Thru are currently being finalised and St Barnabas will release more information as soon as possible.

Caroline added, “We would like to thank all our staff and volunteers for supporting each other whilst our shops have been closed and for being so understanding. We very much miss being at the heart of local communities in Lincolnshire and will be seeing our wonderful supporters again very soon. In the meantime, please stay safe everyone.”

The St Barnabas Retail team is busy making plans for the reopening, but are happy to answer urgent questions directed to shops@stbarnabashospice.co.uk

The Grantham Canal Society exists solely to restore and maintain the length of the canal from Nottingham to Grantham end to end some 33 miles long.

While most of it is not currently navigable by boat, all of it is walkable and cycleable and this time of year is particularly beautiful as birds return and nest, flowers and shrubs flourish and the weather has been very nice throughout April and into May.

Sadly as with everyone we have been impacted upon by Covid 19, the impacts are numerous, it’s been difficult to walk along the canal while maintaining social distance, volunteers have had to cease supporting us as the country has gone into lockdown but the biggest impact is upon our essential fundraising activities.

During the spring and early summer the Grantham Canal Society had numerous fundraising events and awareness raising stands planned throughout March, April and May, these events significantly increase income and make the large projects such as lock restoration, refilling the dry section between Hickling and Cropwell and building slipways all possible.

Sadly so far this year when they should have been in full swing they have been in lockdown and income has dwindled, but passion hasn’t though and they will be right back out there with our boat trips, themed days and delicious cakes just as soon as possible within the government guidelines as they develop.

Edit Post

Preview(opens in a new tab)Add titlePlea to support the Grantham Canal

The Grantham Canal Society exists solely to restore and maintain the length of the canal from Nottingham to Grantham end to end some 33 miles long.

While most of it is not currently navigable by boat, all of it is walkable and cycleable and this time of year is particularly beautiful as birds return and nest, flowers and shrubs flourish and the weather has been very nice throughout April and into May.

Sadly as with everyone we have been impacted upon by Covid 19, the impacts are numerous, it’s been difficult to walk along the canal while maintaining social distance, volunteers have had to cease supporting us as the country has gone into lockdown but the biggest impact is upon our essential fundraising activities.

During the spring and early summer the Grantham Canal Society had numerous fundraising events and awareness raising stands planned throughout March, April and May, these events significantly increase income and make the large projects such as lock restoration, refilling the dry section between Hickling and Cropwell and building slipways all possible.

The society are currently working on its strategy for how to recommence volunteering and what the future looks like in terms of social distancing, depot use, boat trips and canal restoration and maintenance.

In the meantime they hope that everyone continues to enjoy the beautiful canal walks and cycle rides taking in the sights and sounds of the canal and surrounding areas.

They are asking that you consider the many ways in which you could support them this year and beyond and here are a few ways we would gratefully receive support:-

• Become a member of the society – this helps in so many ways it guarantees an annual income and demonstrates support locally and more wider within the community to secure match funding and bid success www.granthamcanal.org/join-us/
• Sign up for Give as you live and whist you are spending online the Grantham Canal Society can be named as beneficiary and valuable funds raised at no cost to you www.everyclick.com we have raised over £6,000 this way so far
• Join the SK Lottery and name Grantham Canal Society as the chosen charity this currently raises more than £3000 per year www.lotterysk.co.uk
• Make a one off donation amount of your choosing www.granthamcanal.org and click the donate button
• Volunteer for us in one of many roles, ranger, events, work parties, canal maintenance, building locks and many more roles volunteer@granthamcanal.org
• Be part of the specific group working on the dry section between Hickling and Cropwell email generalmanager@granthamcanal.org
• Subscribe to our monthly magazine bridge@granthamcanal.org
• Follow us on social media Facebook@granthamcanalsociety &  Twitter@granthamcanal

Under cover of the Coronavirus pandemic and headlines over the Government’s handling of the crisis which has seen Britain suffer more deaths than any other European country, another major public health story has slipped through barely noticed, and has rarely been mentioned in the weekly PMQs.

According to Environment, News, the most important farming legislation in generations passed its third reading in parliament despite warnings that in a bid to make the UK market pliable for a post-Brexit US trade deal, protections of minimum food safety standards have evaporated, as have safeguards for Britain’s farmers.

With most MPs still socially distanced at home, MPs passed the legislation’s third reading in a virtual vote – 360 – 211 despite guarantees of a minimum standard to protect British food – and therefor British farming – being absent from the overhaul of UK agriculture. A full list of how they voted in this crucial legislation is below.

All three local MPs – Gareth Davies(Grantham) Dr Caroline Johnson (Sleaford) and Alicia Kearns (Melton) voted with the Government.

As the bill moves to the Lords for a second reading amid outrage from UK farmers, this weekend former Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson expressed his disbelief that all eight DUP MPs had voted with Conservative colleagues for a bill he said has “the potential to be the last nail in the coffin for agriculture in Northern Ireland.”

Just one Tory MP rebelled: Helen Grant, Conservative MP for Maidstone and the Weald. Not one Labour, Lib Dem or SNP MP voted for the bill.

Leaving the EU means the UK is also leaving the common agricultural policy, which currently funds UK agriculture to the tune of £3.5bn a year. The Agriculture Bill provides the legislative framework for replacement agricultural support schemes. It is now heading to the House of Lords and on target to pass through parliament by the summer.

Crucially, amendments to protect our food and farmers were defeated and left off the first Agriculture Bill in over 40 years.

Farmers, environmentalists and consumer groups united to beg the Government to honour its manifesto pledge not to undermine food standards and the future of British farming with low-quality imports in post-Brexit trade deals.

They warned that without guidelines on food quality, Britain would be flooded by cheap produce from foreign countries where meats are allowed to be pumped full of drugs and animal welfare is much lower than EU standards.

British farmers would not be able to compete in price and if they lowered standards too below EU standards, they would lose their main market in Europe and face a catastrophe either way.

The National Farmers’ Union tweets: “This isn’t hysteria. This isn’t mumbo jumbo.”

“Our trade policy must reflect our moral responsibilities to the planet and the people and creatures that live on it – protecting our natural environment, caring for our farmed animals, and working toward a more sustainable, climate-friendly way of farming and food production,” said the National Farming Union’s president Minette Batters.

“We have the chance to become a global leader in climate-friendly farming, and neither farmers nor the public want to see that ambition fall by the wayside because our trade policy does not hold food imports to the same standards as are expected of our own farmers.”

Environment Secretary George Eustice refused to rule out chlorinated chicken and hormone-treated beef being imported from the US in a post-Brexit trade deal and he voted against his own 2019 proposals to protect the UK’s high animal welfare and food hygiene standards by banning the sale of lower standard foods such as chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-injected beef when it was again tabled as a Labour amendment to the Agriculture Bill.

Rebel Conservative and Labour amendments to hold the Government to previous promises to protect British food and farming were also defeated. Senior Conservatives Simon Hoare and Neil Parish led the push for the Agriculture Bill, which sets out new policy as the UK quits the EU-wide Common Agricultural Policy, to require a level playing field between British farmers and those overseas in future trade agreements.