We absolutely cannot support this.

There are thousands more British workers ahead in the queue before this idea even needs to be discussed, let alone put into policy.

Industry support would reflect badly too, adversely affecting public perception. https://www.farminguk.com/news/mp-proposes-prisoners-help-pick-crops-amid-labour-shortage_55500.html

It would be a monumental misjudgement to have called for assistance from tens of thousands of furloughed and redundant members of the British public then - having already caused controversy by rejecting applicants without great reasons - dismiss them in favour of prison labour.

This is exactly how the erosion of public trust can happen in a heartbeat and how an industry which is starting to look at a brighter domestic future can find itself being used as a political football for many years to come.

Farming is better than this.