Will Brexit leave us at the mercy of free trade?

LAST week we outlined our key asks of the next UK government in our General Election manifesto, and one of the topics we highlighted is international commerce. Through trade agreements and other mechanisms, it has brought huge advantages to many of the world’s nations and peoples and has served to significantly stabilise international relationships over the past 60 years.

However, globalisation at the pace seen in recent years has also brought many problems, not least displacement of jobs, accelerated destruction of some of the world’s most precious habitats and a rise in greenhouse gas emissions.

Recent events in countries such as the US have highlighted the frustrations of those affected by unchecked globalisation and free trade, and the belief that rapid and uncontrolled trade liberalisation is, by definition, a force for good has been shown to be naive.

As the UK seeks to forge a new place in the world outside the EU, there is much talk of free trade agreements with other countries and trading blocs, The political impetus to show such agreements can be reached has the danger that deals which disadvantage many of our industries will be hurriedly signed post-Brexit.

For our agriculture and food industries, the adverse impact of a disadvantageous trade deal which liberalises food imports would be catastrophic, while imports from countries which have animal health and welfare and environmental standards well below those in the UK would bring major risks in terms of UK human and animal health, and add to environmental damage.

Brexit does provide potential opportunities to open up new markets for agricultural products which are produced to strict animal health and welfare and environmental standards. However, governments must be realistic about possible opportunities given past experience in trying to gain access to and expand new markets.

Through our manifesto, we have urged the future government to investigate opportunities to develop new trading arrangements with other countries and trading blocs which benefit primary producers and open up new markets, as well as ensuring that food security, rural incomes and local food production needs are a priority during future negotiations.

We have also reiterated that negotiations with the large and affluent market which is on our doorstep, in the form of the EU, must be a priority