The Government’s Fantasy Food Strategy
07/08/2022
The government’s food strategy lacks detail or any plans for implementation, and it is contradicted by its other policies.
Animal welfare faces ‘clear and present danger’ from post-Brexit trade deals, study warns
28/07/2022
Claim that UK farming at risk if ‘soft’ approach pursued with countries with ‘less qualms’ about quality.
Activists file formal complaint alleging government has breached international law in signing deal.
Ministers to break promise to give MPs a final say before approving trade deal with Australia
18/07/2022
Agreement will clear parliament on Wednesday under obscure behind-closed-doors process – with no debate, despite a pledge.
The International Trade Committee, a cross-party committee of UK members of parliament, has warned the government against “overselling” its free trade agreement (FTA) with Australia, saying that “flat-footed negotiating” has led to significant concessions without securing all possible benefits in return.
THE UK Government failed to heed warnings over the damage Brexit would do to Scotland’s food and farming sectors, despite “clearly being aware of the consequences”, a Scottish minister has said.
UK’s Liz Truss was warned of blow to food sector under Australia and New Zealand trade deals
12/07/2022
Data obtained by POLITICO shows economic toll on farmers known before key post-Brexit trade talks began.
Don’t pretend Australia Brexit trade deal will have ‘noticeable’ benefits, MPs tell government
06/07/2022
Cross-party international trade committee says agreement unlikely to be detectable at supermarket tills.
Select committee says ministers want to rush through deal allowing food imports that fall below UK environmental standards.
Government condemned for trying ‘to rush it through’ – in echoes of Northern Ireland Protocol now being torn up. / MPs should block the Australia trade deal because the government has broken a promise to allow it to be scrutinised properly, a damning report says.
Trade committee chair Angus Brendan MacNeil said MPs had been ‘consistently hindered’ in attempts to examine the deal.
Ministers criticised for failing to fight for ‘ambitious’ commitments to cut CO2 emissions.
A couple of points are worth observing already. Nearly six years on from the Leave vote, the supposed opportunities of Brexit remain entirely conspicuous by their absence. And ramping up the rhetoric by claiming “immense opportunity” does not change this reality.
Labour shortages caused by Brexit and accentuated by the COVID pandemic have badly affected businesses across the food and farming sector and could cause ‘permanent’ damage, UK lawmakers stated in a report published on Wednesday (6 April).
Talk at this week’s NFU conference will be alive with financial, labour and competition concerns.
Minette Batters: ‘I feared farmers would be used as a pawn in trade deals – and that’s what happened’
29/01/2022
The NFU president has been dismayed by the government’s post-Brexit deals, but has vowed to fight on for British producers
Minette Batters decries trade deal with Australia and New Zealand. / The president of the National Farmers’ Union has accused the government of using British food producers as a “pawn” in post-Brexit trade deals.
Liz Truss faces backlash on Australia trip over plans to hike UK taxes on wine from Down Under
21/01/2022
Foreign secretary Liz Truss is facing a backlash from Australian wine producers during her trip Down Under, amid complaints that any benefits from a post-Brexit trade deal will be more than wiped out by proposed changes to UK taxes on alcohol.
Tory MP Neil Hudson said he was worried that the free trade agreement (FTA) could see British farmers undercut and “undermined” by cheap Australian meat imports.
THERE is “no desire in Scotland to have membership of the EU”, Scotland Secretary Alister Jack has claimed despite significant evidence to the contrary. / "So does it come as a surprise to the secretary of state that a poll last year showed 69% of Scottish voters want to rejoin the EU?”
Minette Batters Interview: The Farming Industry Has Been Ignored Over Post-Brexit Trade Deals
10/01/2022
From driving a tractor to driving government policy, NFU chief Minette Batters talks about the many challenges facing farming.
The Tories’ post-Brexit trade deal with Australia will harm UK’s farming sector by hundreds of millions of pounds, according to the government’s own assessment.
Australia deal will cause £94m blow to UK farming, fishing and forestry, government admits
21/12/2021
Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit trade deal with Australia will damage the UK’s agriculture and food sectors by hundreds of millions of pounds, according to the government’s own impact assessment.
Australia trade deal to cause £94m hit to UK farming, forestry and fishing, Government study reveals
20/12/2021
Post-Brexit free trade deal will cause a ‘reallocation of resources within the economy’ including a £225m hit to semi-processed food, the Government’s own impact assessment says.
Fears for farmers and anger over dropping of pledge to bind Australia to crucial climate temperature limit.