All of Cornwall’s Conservative MPs voted against an amendment to an Agriculture Bill which critics say would have protected food standards in the UK.
The Government bill came back before MPs on Monday with amendments which had been made by the House of Lords. Among these was a condition designed to ensure that food imported into the UK would have to meet the standards applied to food produced in the UK following Brexit.
However the amendment was voted down with all six of Cornwall’s Conservative MPs voting against it.
The failure of MPs to support the amendment led to widespread criticism from people who are concerned that the move will lead to poor standard food coming into the UK and also affect the livelihoods of farmers in the UK who have to meet the high standards.
Critics say that this could lead to lower quality meat products coming into the UK – such as chlorinated chicken – including those which are currently not allowed due to standards set by the EU.
Some claimed that Cornwall’s MPs had broken promises to farmers in the Duchy by not voting to uphold high food standards – and neither South East Cornwall MP Sheryll Murray nor the North Cornwall MP Scott Mann, whose constituency includes Bodmin, have so far responded to questions about why they voted in the way that they did.
However, Steve Double, the MP whose St Austell and Newquay constituency includes Fowey, St Blazey and Par, said: “The Agriculture Bill presents an amazing opportunity for our country to regain autonomy over our farming policy after 40 years of EU control. No longer dictated to by bureaucrats who do not understand our domestic interests, we can now establish our own trade system, delivering specifically for British farmers and the environment for which they so diligently care.
“It is of the utmost importance that the UK upholds high standards on all our food, not only to ensure the welfare of animals and the health of the British people, but also to enable our fantastic farmers to thrive as we trade with countries around the world.
“That is why I was pleased to stand on a Conservative manifesto which explicitly made clear that in all our trade negotiations we would not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare or food standards. In this respect, the Government is firmly on the side of British farmers and is proud to espouse such high standards, particularly in the realm of animal welfare. Far from endangering those standards, the Government’s clear policy is, in fact, to increase them.
“Please be assured that the Government is continuing to implement a number of key measures to ensure this is the case."
George Eustice, MP for Camborne and Redruth as well as Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said: “We already have the legal powers to protect our food standards and animal welfare so the amendment tabled was not necessary. As farming minister I ensured that our manifesto had a clear commitment to protect and uphold animal welfare standards in future trade deals and to ensure that our farmers are not undermined by unfair competition.
“The Government will deliver this through a combination of measures including a prohibition on the sale of meats treated with hormones or chlorine, a chapter in any future trade deal that sets out the requirements for foreign countries as far as food safety is concerned, and the use of tariff policy to prevent producers with low animal welfare standards having unfair access to our market.”
Several Conservative MPs from constituencies elsewhere in the country rebelled against the Government, including Devon MP Neil Parish. Plymouth Labour MP Luke Pollard, the shadow environment, food and rural affairs secretary, said: “The Conservatives have again broken their promise to British farmers and the public. No one wants lower quality food on our plates, but there is an increasing risk that this could happen because the Prime Minister is refusing to show leadership.”