Neil Parish Member of Parliament for Tiverton and Honiton gave a rousing speech at the well-attended fundraising event in aid of Farm Crisis Network at the Ashwick Church Rooms on Thursday evening.More than sixty people attended the event, enjoying wine-tasting presented by wine importers Santé of Wells plus a charity auction with prizes including a night at the Cathedral Suite at the Swan Hotel and a bottle of House of Commons champagne signed for the event by the Prime Minister, David Cameron. The evening was organized by Christiana Priscott, the newly-appointed chairman of Ashwick & Oakhill Branch of Wells Conservatives.Founded in 1995, Farm Crisis Network is a UK network of volunteers drawn from the farming community and rural churches. FCN provides pastoral and practical support to farming people during periods of anxiety, stress and problems relating to both the farm household and the farm business. Recent overdue payments from the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) have led to significant hardship amongst Somerset farmers.Himself a former Somerset farmer and a current member of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, Neil Parish MP spoke about the need for understanding in Westminster of the difficulties facing rural areas.“We were delighted to welcome Neil Parish MP as our speaker at the Oakhill and Ashwick fundraising event last week.” commented David Warburton, political spokesperson for Wells Conservative Association. “More action is needed to support our farmers today. Farm Crisis Network are working with many struggling families unable to get the support they are entitled to from the RPA. This is not acceptable. DEFRA must force them to sort out their internal problems and get the money to where it’s needed. We will certainly do all we can to ensure that happens.”Ends