Farming leaders unite to send warning to Johnson
Following yesterday’s announcement that Boris Johnson will be the UK’S new prime minister, a call has been made for all parties to focus on securing the best possible Brexit outcome in the UK’S interests – including those of Scottish agriculture.
But while the main focus might have been on securing continued frictionless trade with the EU, NFU Scotland was also swift to call on the new administration to “show the colour of their money” following promises made by Johnson to Scottish farmers during his campaign.
These included a categorical commitment to “right the historic wrong” and address the £160 million shortfall in funding which the union said Scottish farming had experienced as a result of the flawed convergence decisions taken by the UK government in 2013 – as well as providing an additional £25m per year to the sector.
“That level of spend would deliver one of the biggest cash injections ever seen by the industry,” said union president Andrew Mccornick.
Mccornick said that his organisation would continue to work closely with other farming unions across the UK to secure an acceptable Brexit deal. He added that the needs of Scotland’s farmers had been spelled out to Johnson in “no uncertain terms”.
“We called for Brexit to deliver frictionless trade that upholds the extremely high standards met by Scottish farmers and crofters; access to skilled and competent labour and ring-fenced and multi-annual funding commitments for devolved delivery of a new Scottish agricultural policy that will drive productivity, profitability, build resilience and deliver on environmental needs,” he said.
English NFU president Minette Batters said that a deal with the EU was crucial to maintaining free trade with the country’s closest neighbours and largest trading partners – as well as access to people that want to come to the UK to work on farms.
“Johnson has an opportunity to develop a new agricultural policy that works for Britain by creating a sustainable, vibrant and competitive future for our farming sector.”
With a third of the country’s lamb exported to the EU and huge tariffs likely under a no deal scenario, the National Sheep Association called on Johnson not to play populist politics.
Chief executive Phil Stockersaid: “The picture is bleak for British sheep farming if Johnson refuses to avoid a hard or disorderly departure from the EU – something we know would result in major trade disruption with inadequate time to put in place alternative options.”
He said that a promise of a rescue package once things had gone wrong was the wrong approach – what was needed was a strategic package of measures to avoid collapse in the first place: “I urge Johnson to prioritise an orderly Brexit.”