Kennedy says Change is at the heart of union’s post-brexit plan

Later this week, NFU Scotland will publish its policy proposals for life post Brexit. These will be founded upon the principles within its Change discussion document, which was the subject of wide consultation with union members at the end of 2017.

This follows Scottish farming leaders – along with their Welsh and Northern Irish counterparts – taking part last week in a discussion on the UK government’s consultation paper, Health and Harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a Green Brexit. Speaking after that meeting, NFUS vice-president Martin Kennedy said: “As the Brexit negotiations ramp up, so too does NFU Scotland’s engagement with officials and parliamentarians.”

He maintained that continued dialogue at a UK level on the union’s key principles of trade, labour and support was hugely important.

Among the issues discussed at the Defra meeting with UK minister George Eustice in the chair, there was broad agreement that having the environment and sustainable food production at the heart of future farming policy provided a positive opportunity for all territories.

There was also general agreement that, despite devolution, the four home nations had to work collaboratively on solutions for new common frameworks in order to maintain the integrity of the UK internal market and allow the signing of international agreements.

As far as financial support was concerned, Eustice confirmed that the same cash total for farm support was guaranteed for all parts of the UK until the end of the UK parliament’s term of office.