Truss refuses to reveal Plan B

WITH the future of Britain’s membership of the European Union now being put to the test of a national referendum, the long-term nature of farming yesterday saw the industry call for some transparency on “Plan B” should the UK decide to exit.

But it was claimed yesterday that the refusal of the UK Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Liz Truss, to clarify plans for the farming sector if the UK voted to leave the EU should “set alarm bells ringing in every farm and croft in Scotland”.

Ms Truss refused to be drawn yesterday at the Highland Show into even considering the possibility that the UK might exit the union.

“We are only at the start of the re-negotiations on Britain’s membership and I am confident that we will secure a good deal,” she said.

She said that she believed that this would secure a vote to stay within the EU, arguing that a reform of the terms of membership would be widely welcomed and could lead to benefits given thought to the matter and, in the autumn, the union will sound out its membership to gather their views.

“When the day-to-day job of farming remains so challenging, it can be difficult to look further ahead than next week, next month or next year – but that is exactly what we want our members to do,” said Bowie.

“As a start point to that discussion, if our successful food and drink sector is to continue to thrive, then it will require farmers to produce more from the land in Scotland.

“That needs a vision built on production and ensuring that we get the best price possible for what we produce. We want farmers to be innovative and we want to attract the best and brightest of the next generation to farming. Our ambitions must be set high and the Scottish Government needs to follow through with the correct actions and policies that will allow the vision to be fulfilled.”

He added that it was important that the resulting vision did for farmers, including less red tape. However, she flatly refused to discuss what might happen to agricultural trade with Europe and support measures should the country vote for an exit. Truss also refused to confirm that the review of the convergence uplift allocation would begin next year, stating that the timetable was still being discussed.

Scottish cabinet secretary for rural affairs Richard Lochhead, who was also at the show, said: “Liz Truss’s evasiveness and refusal to commit to funding Scottish agriculture should the UK leave the EU should set alarm bells ringing in every farm and croft in Scotland.

“Clearly without the £500 million of payments received each year from the CAP, many sectors of Scottish farming would implode, especially in the more remote areas.”he said that her lack of commitment on such a key and pertinent question was unacceptable.

“This is of course alarming not just for Scotland but for the rest of the UK as well,” he added. more than gather dust on a shelf. “Creating the ‘vision’ is the easy bit,” he said. “The hard bit is in delivery and putting in place the required steps and actions to put Scottish farming firmly on the front foot.”