Neil was proud to stand on a Conservative Manifesto that promised to give the British people an in/out referendum on our membership of the European Union.The British people have had their say and the United Kingdom will now be leaving the EU. Neil strongly believes their decision must be respected. As Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee, Neil will now be fighting tooth and nail to get the best possible settlement for Britain’s agricultural and food & drink industries in the Brexit negotiations.

Neil is passionate about conserving our environment & is committed to increasing protections. In Parliament, Neil has been Chair of the Environment Food & Rural Affairs Select Committee since 2015. He has led inquiries into plastic waste, the Environment Bill & air quality, campaigning at every stage for stronger environmental protections. He supported the carrier bag charge, ban on microbeads & moves to plant 11 million more trees. Neil also supports strong action to help tackle climate change, backing renewables, take-up of electric cars and removing coal from energy production. 

Neil cares deeply about getting fairer funding for Devon schools. For too long, rural schools in counties like Devon have had a raw deal, while urban schools have received far more funding per pupil.Historic UnfairnessDevon schools have been among the worst-funded in England. Each individual Devon schoolchild receives £270 less per head than the average for England, and three and four-year-olds receive £620 less per year than the average for England.

Neil recognises the real need for improvements in transport to the South West and rural transport.The economy of the South West of England is bigger than Merseyside, Tyne and Wear, South Wales or Leeds. But is it only served by one mail rail ink and one main road link. This causes congestion, delays and stifles economy and social benefits in the South West.

Neil believes each policing area has different and specific needs. That's why Neil engages consistently with the locally elected PCC to find out what more is needed to keep constituents safe. Working with the excellent local Police & Crime Commissioner, Alison Hernandez, Neil has stood up for Tiverton & Honiton police priorities. Neil has already helped get a fair share of 20,000 new police officers, with 147 new officers being recruited for Devon & Cornwall now.

Neil is passionate about animal welfare. Soon after being elected in May 2010, Neil was appointed Chairman of the All-Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Animal Welfare in July 2010. Since 2015, Neil has been Chair of the EFRA Committee which covers animal welfare issues. Neil's Committee have conducted a number of inquiries into key issues, such as greyhound welfare, domestic pets and puppy smuggling. Neil's family dog, Wilberforce, has also won Westminster dog of the year.