Ground-breaking policy link-up over Brexit planning put on hold

When the move was announced early this year, some thought it a masterstroke allowing one of the experts in Scottish agricultural policy to influence Scottish Government thinking. Others of a more cautious nature worried that the embedding of Jonnie Hall, head of policy at NFU Scotland within the civil service sorting out agricultural policy post Brexit might compromise any future union stance.

As it has turned out, his part-time secondment has been terminated with a view that the Scottish Gov- ernment was not yet in a position to utilise Hall’s experience.

NFU Scotland chief executive Scott Walker said: “Jonnie Hall’s secondment was a new approach for both sides to help formulate the right agricultural policy for Scotland in a post-brexit future.

“Given the eventual Brexit negotiation timetable that has emerged since December 2016, we were both ahead of the curve, with discussions still firmly focussed on Brexit options rather than the detail of Scottish agricultural policy.

“As Jonnie’s skills and knowledge were not being fully utilised, both parties felt it was appropriate to end the secondment.”

Yesterday, the union said it also believed the number of specialist groups set up by the Scottish Government should be able to provide the necessary information on future agricultural policy.

For its own part, the union will, later this summer, roll out its own discussion document, Change – A New Agricultural Policy for Scotland Post-brexit. The union also announced it would be meeting the UK department of the environment, food and rural affairs on a monthly basis.