Trade in food and drink won’t see UK standards falling, Gove pledges

UK will not sign up to trade deals after Brexit that undermine high animal welfare or environmental standards, Michael Gove has said.

Concerns have been raised that barriers to trade and free movement could hit the £110 billion-a-year agriculture and food sector, for which the EU accounts for 60 per cent of exports and 70 per cent of imports and provides many workers. There are fears trade deals could see imports of cheaper, lower-standard produce such as US chlorinated chicken and hormone-fed beef.

Speaking at the National 0 Warning from NFU’S Meurig Raymond Farmers’ Union annual conference in Birmingham, the Environment Secretary echoed comments by Brexit Secretary David Davis in Vienna that the UK would not pursue a “Mad Max” deregulation agenda. “Leaving the EU is about exercising greater democraticcontrol,notpursuinga race to the bottom,” Mr Gove said, adding: “We won’t be signing trade deals that mean British producers are undercut on animal welfare or environmental standards.”

His comments came after outgoing NFU president Meurig Raymond warned that time was running out to secure a deal with the EU.

“We must have frictionless trade with the EU. Everything else, including the final shape of any domestic agricultural policy is dependent on that,” Mr Raymond said.