In his article ‘Questioning the election’ (Echo, December 30) Paul Millard of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) questions whether there is a political party that will “guarantee to balance the books and keep cash coming to areas of the countryside the market cannot support”.

I attended a meeting with the CLA in Dorchester in September in which the UKIP position on farming was explained and accepted by the CLA representatives.

It is a pity that Paul Millard seems unaware of the series of meetings around the South West when the CLA hosted the main political parties. For the wider readership, UKIP has an agriculture policy in which the major headline reads: “UKIP will support agriculture through a modified Single Farm Payment scheme.” Our comprehensive ‘all-in’ policy includes: no modulation or cross-compliance, no interference in cropping and no set-aside (EFA) – but land must be farmed to Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) standard to qualify.

The policy also states that 25 yards around the base of each wind turbine and solar panel will be an ‘ineligible feature’ – meaning no payment.

Let us be quite clear on the matter, the Common Agriculture Policy of the EU favours, in particular, French farmers with their small uneconomic farming structure.

Coming out of the EU means that the UK farming community will have direct access to those who will actually govern the United Kingdom and, unlike the EU, UKIP welcomes input from the NFU, CLA and farmers themselves.

I am quite happy to meet with those who have an interest in farming and rural affairs. I shall be in the office of William Dartmouth MEP at 29 South Street, Dorchester on most Wednesdays or by appointment.

David Glossop UKIP Parliamentary Candidate for West Dorset Dorchester