Moray SNP News

TORY AGRICULTURE BILL THREAT TO MORAY FARMERS SAYS LOCHHEAD

Moray’s SNP MSP Richard Lochhead has expressed his deep concern after Boris Boris Johnson’s government rejected a crucial amendment to the Agriculture Bill that would have prevented high standards currently in place being watered-down in order to secure trade deals.

The amendment brought forward aimed to enshrine current domestic standards into legislation and would have looked to strengthen, not lower, them.

The move would have prevented low-quality produce from entering Scotland and being sold in our shops, and key Scottish industries being undercut and undermined.

Local MSP Mr Lochhead says he is hugely concerned about the impact on Agriculture and Scotland’s world class reputation for food & drink produce. He echoed concerns expressed by the farming community with the National Farmers Union for Scotland expressing their ‘bitter disappointment’ at the Westminster vote.

Richard Lochhead MSP said:

“The Tory government has ignored concerns raised by health experts, farmers and food producers, and consumers, and voted down the amendment to the Bill.

“Producers in Moray and across Scotland will be deeply worried about how far the U.K. Government is willing to sell them out. 

“By refusing to enshrine into legislation the high standards that currently protect us, Boris Johnson’s government has fired the starting gun for a post-Brexit race to the bottom, which threatens our superb food and agriculture sectors and risks flooding our stores with low-quality produce.

“Moray is often described as the bread basket of Scotland due to the exceptionally high standard of produce that we export from our region, exports that are shipped all over Europe and throughout the world. 

“I am deeply concerned about the impact of this Tory bill on Moray’s vital food & drink sector and the many, many jobs that it supports. 

“Our local MP was rightly lambasted for his previous votes on this issue and I welcome the fact that as a result of the backlash he’s u-turned on this issue. It’s just a shame he seems to have zero influence over his UK Tory colleagues who are in Government and forcing this through Westminster.”