‘MPS MUST NOW BE HONEST WITH OUR FARMERS’

FARMING leaders have welcomed the key amendments made by the House of Lords to protect British farmers from substandard imports, but has warned that Government must now listen and not ignore this strength of feeling.

Responding to the vote, Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and a Westcountry livestock farmer, urged the House of Commons to again consider the NFU’s call to strengthen the role of the Trade and Agriculture Commission, which was established by the International Trade Secretary Liz Truss earlier this year following lobbying and campaign pressure from the NFU.

Mrs Batters said: “It is fantastic that the House of Lords have voted for Lord Curry’s amendment to the Agriculture Bill, which would allow Parliament to be provided with independent advice about the impact every trade deal will have on our food and farming standards.

“We believe the role of the Trade and Agriculture Commission is crucial to providing proper parliamentary oversight of our future trade policy and it is encouraging to see peers support this view.

“Last night [September 22] the House of Lords reflected the strength of feeling on this issue in the country at large. They were right to strengthen the Agriculture Bill to provide better scrutiny of future trade deals. I hope MPs will not ignore this strength of feeling when the Bill returns to the House of Commons.”

Labour’s Shadow Environment Secretary and Plymouth MP, Luke Pollard, raised concerns that much of the good work done by the Lords could be undone when the Agriculture Bill goes back to the House of Commons.

Writing on Twitter, the MP for Sutton and Devonport said: “Conservative MPs must now be honest with the country’s farmers and say whether they are on their side or will they vote to remove high standards from the Agriculture Bill?”

Cornish arable and beef farmer John Perry, who farms just outside Launceston and is Cornwall NFU county chairman, described the vote as “some sort of victory”, but added: “It has still got to go back to the House of Commons, so might not necessarily go through. But at least the House of Lords have debated it well and listened to our views – not only farmers’ views but our fellow countrymen’s views as well.

“I do feel that the public are buying British a bit more, which is a good thing. Definitely locally, within Cornwall and the South West, those I have spoken to that don’t know much about farming are all keen on supporting British produce, which I think for me is the key. It’s trying to get people to understand the provenance of our produce.”