Farron Fights for Justice for Farmers

3.00.00pm GMT Wed 21st Nov 2007

Tim Farron MP has written today to the Office of Fair Trading in the wake of the price fixing charges levelled at major supermarkets and dairy processors in the aftermath of the foot and mouth outbreak. Mr Farron, who recently backed the idea proposed by the Competition Commission of having a Supermarket Ombudsman, wrote to both the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Trade and Consumer Affairs and the Chief Executive of the OFT.

Mr Farron has also suggested that the OFT goes further and creates an independent market regulator to prevent farmers being exploited by supermarkets and other big producers.

Mr Farron said:

"The sloth-like speed with which the Office of Fair Trading has acted in this instance is extremely worrying. Big business must pay the price for bullying farmers and smaller business and for profiteering at the expense of the consumer. Unless the full weight of the law falls on those involved, justice will not be served.

"Farmers deserve better than the ponderous and painfully slow response of the OFT. Our confidence in the fairness of the system will continue to be undermined until the OFT takes fair and tough action to defend farmers and consumers from this outrageous abuse of market power."