AN agricultural worker from East Anglia has joined Labour's rural campaign to emphasise claims that Conservative policies would kill the countryside.Teresa Mackay, who works on a fruit farm in Hemingstone, on the outskirts of Ipswich, condemned Michael Howard's plans to scrap the Agricultural Wages Board.

AN agricultural worker from East Anglia has joined Labour's rural campaign to emphasise claims that Conservative policies would kill the countryside.

Teresa Mackay, who works on a fruit farm in Hemingstone, on the outskirts of Ipswich, condemned Michael Howard's plans to scrap the Agricultural Wages Board.

She joined Prime Minister Tony Blair and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett for the launch of Labour's rural manifesto.

“The Tories' plans to scrap the Agricultural Wages Board would be a disaster for me and thousands of agricultural workers in this area,” she said.

“Any rural worker who thinks that the Tories are the party of the country needs to think again. Voting Tory would mean waving goodbye to the pay protection we've had since the Board was set up in 1918.”

Mrs Beckett added: “It was a pleasure to meet Teresa and listen to her concerns about working in the countryside, particularly about the future of the Agricultural Wages Board.

“Labour is committed to keeping the Board and working with employers and employees in the farming sector to ensure the sector thrives.

“In addition to wages, our rural manifesto covers other important issues for Suffolk and other areas such as affordable housing and stewardship of the countryside.”