Ewing hopes for change in attitude at Defra

While Michael Gove yesterday claimed that Scottish farmers were not facing cuts in support levels due to Brexit, calls were made for him to take the threats being faced by Scotland’s farming sector seriously – and to fulfil his government’s promise to discuss these issues thoroughly with the devolved administrations.

Scotland’s rural economy secretary, Fergus Ewing, said he was hoping for a change of attitude at Defra under Mr Gove.

With a suite of economic modelling studies for a number of Brexit scenarios being drawn up by the Scottish Government due to be released in coming weeks, Mr Ewing said: “I fully expect these will confirm what the Scottish Government has been saying to the UK government … that contrary to their rose-tinted rhetoric about Brexit it is a major threat to Scottish farming.”