This past Thursday Luke Pollard, MP for Plymouth Sutton & Devonport, visited Barford Park Farm with Labour leader Keir Starmer as a key part of protecting and listening to British farmers. Minette Batters, President of the National Farmers’ Union and is tenant farmer of Barford Park Farm, toured Keir and Luke around as she has called for the government to implement proper MP scrutiny of trade deals to protect British farming standards.

This visit was an important step before the reintroduction of the Agriculture Bill to the House of Commons, where MPs will be considering amendments from the House of Lords which look to protect farming standards and ensure proper parliamentary scrutiny of Britain’s future trade deals.

Luke Pollard MP said:

“Protecting our high quality of food standards and British farmers is incredibly important to me, and it is a massive part of what I have been advocating for in my role as Shadow Secretary for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

 

The government needs to step up and genuinely look after what most people in this country want, and that is our farmers and the high standards that they work tirelessly to provide us with instead of going into trade deals that threaten to undercut them.”

Keir Starmer, Labour leader said:

“British farmers want to maintain the high food standards that we’ve got. I think it’s what everybody in the country wants. But that’s now at risk with trade deals.

 

I’m saying to the Prime Minister: Back our farmers, back our high standards, and take the opportunity that is coming up to protect high standards for food in law.”