Conservatives under fire for backing imported sugar with conference lanyards

Tate and Lyle’s sugar refining business relies on imported sugar cane, as opposed to British sugar beet.

NFU vice president Guy Smith was the first to say he would change the lanyard, tweeting the Prime Minister to say a ’country could not be built on imports’.

Early off to Manchester to help man NFU stand. First job, change the lanyard on the pass. You won’t build a country on imports @theresa_may pic.twitter.com/OqQXdl54nH

— Guy Smith (@essexpeasant)

Early off to Manchester to help man NFU stand. First job, change the lanyard on the pass. You won't build a country on imports @theresa_may pic.twitter.com/OqQXdl54nH

— Guy Smith (@essexpeasant) October 2, 2017

He later posted a picture of his ’sorted’ lanyard.

It’s not about politics it’s about my assured farm produce grown to high environmental standards or the imported rival. But now sorted pic.twitter.com/LtJ9cPmkJi

— Guy Smith (@essexpeasant)

It's not about politics it's about my assured farm produce grown to high environmental standards or the imported rival. But now sorted pic.twitter.com/LtJ9cPmkJi

— Guy Smith (@essexpeasant) October 2, 2017

The decision to take sponsorship from Tate and Lyle was branded ’disgraceful’ by arable farmer Andrew Ward.

Disgraceful: #conservatives sponsored at conference by Tate & Lyle, who provide foreign cane Sugar. So much for supporting 🇬🇧 Ag. @ConHome pic.twitter.com/JRvBq1W8yh

— Andrew Ward (@wheat_daddy)

Disgraceful: #conservatives sponsored at conference by Tate & Lyle, who provide foreign cane Sugar. So much for supporting \uD83C\uDDEC\uD83C\uDDE7 Ag. @ConHome pic.twitter.com/JRvBq1W8yh

— Andrew Ward (@wheat_daddy) October 1, 2017

NFU president Meurig Raymond and director general Terry Jones were photographed shortly afterwards with British Sugar lanyards they had hunted down.

@BritishSugar have upgrade a few lanyards #backbritishsugar pic.twitter.com/BQ15eZcay2

— Olly harrison (@agricontract)

@BritishSugar have upgrade a few lanyards #backbritishsugar pic.twitter.com/BQ15eZcay2

— Olly harrison (@agricontract) October 2, 2017

The gaffe came in the wake of a shocking survey which showed six in ten adults had no idea sugar was grown in Britain.

The poll was carried out as British Sugar launched a campaign urging shoppers to ‘Back British Sugar’ ahead of the removal of European sugar quotas and Brexit.