One of the most difficult parts of the 2016 referendum to explain is the higher than average support for Leave amongst the farming community, a more classic case of turkeys voting for Christmas would be harder to find, as without the annual Basic Payment, the subsidy which is paid direct to farmers as part of the EU Common Agricultural Policy, many farms would be non-viable and would have to shut or diversify out of farming to continue to exist. It is beyond doubt that in the long term UK farming has benefited from membership of the EU, yes there have been blips such as the introduction of milk quotas in 1984 but on the whole the industry has seen greater stability and prosperity. So why are farmers on average so Eurosceptic?

One of our supporters, Andrew Charlton, a farmer from central Lincolnshire offers his thoughts.