Save British Food
“Recent polls show that between 80-90% of people in the UK are aligned against the lowering of food and animal welfare standards. For this Government to force through these changes against the values of the majority, is reminiscent of Margaret Thatcher’s obsession with the Poll Tax – which saw the worst riots in a century.”
Read more from this article in West Country Bylines by Save British Farming’s Liz Webster.
Peers signal a parliamentary battle awaits the Government over UK food standards.
The Agriculture Bill could be amended in the House of Lords to include further guarantees designed to stop imports watering down standards.
The Conservative Party was elected on a manifesto which committed Mr Johnson’s Government to “not compromise” on the UK’s “high” environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards in “all our trade negotiations”.
But peers continued to voice concerns about the prospect of cheap imports and pressed for new guarantees to be included in law via the Agriculture Bill, which sets out a new policy as the UK quits the EU-wide Common Agricultural Policy.
Lord Addington said the Government would be bound to its commitment on standards if it was written into Bill. “If we don’t get something on the face of this Bill… we have no other way of at least making the Government stand up and say ‘yes, we’re changing it because…’ and I think that’s what this is about.
“I hope the minister is taking this on board because… ping and pong backhand forehand and the odd smash might be involved on this one. We can actually get involved in long discussion when the House is asking Government to honour its own manifesto. I wouldn’t have thought any government wants that.”
Conservative Lord Cormack said his party’s 2019 election manifesto made a “total commitment” to enhance rather than diminish UK food standards, adding: “If this Bill does not create a situation where that can happen then it is indeed… not fit for purpose.”
Lord Cormack predicted there could be a lengthy report stage for the Bill and “quite a lot of contact” with the Commons as a result of any amendments made by peers if the Government did not make the desired changes.
Labour argued legislation must include a requirement for agricultural and food imports to meet domestic standards. Shadow environment minister Lord Grantchester said: “The simplest way to decide this matter is by enshrining the UK’s position here in law.”
Save British Farming is campaigning to create awareness amongst the public about the lowering of food standards and to use public pressure on MPs to support an amendment in which the current standards are kept.
“We deserve better than this. Political short-termism for a long-term industry; ministers who say one thing and do another; who avoid scrutiny; pillow talk which determines the fates of generations-old businesses.
“Farming is built on trust – like wheat and oil seed rape, a commodity in short supply in 2020.”
Well said Joe Stanley.
The countryside will change dramatically should this govt succeed in allowing lower quality imports to flood in to 🇬🇧
If you love 🇬🇧 countryside, join our campaign to #SaveBritishFarming by:
👉 donating https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-british-farming
👉 signing up http://savebritishfood.org/subscribe
Save British Farming urges you to contact MPs and your local Conservative Association office. Here’s a link to a letter template.
Ask your MP to support amendments to the agriculture and trade bills which protect British food, animal welfare and environmental standards.
Over 80% of people polled do not want to open the floodgates to low quality imports.
Even if you never hear back, your correspondence is logged. The more they hear from us, the more pressure they will be under.
It works!
(Source: https://twitter.com/mpritcharduk/status/1290273279228309504…)
The decision to lower food standards in the new Agriculture Bill to allow US imports into our country represents a threat to both public health and our economy.
The FSA calculated the UK infection rate could increase 10x across all foodbourne pathogens and contaminants which cause food poisoning. This could result in an additional nine million people suffering illness. The increased likelihood of such an unpleasant experience notwithstanding, the extra cost to the economy of days off and NHS treatment would be £1.17bn.
Write to your MP asking them to support an amendment to keep British standards in the new agriculture bill. The more they hear from the public the greater the pressure they will be under.
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Boris Johnson is breaking his pledges on the health service and agriculture. The agriculture and trade bills have sailed through the commons without the amendments to protect our food and NHS from being sold off to USA.
Lower standard food ensures more food poisoning but also more obesity and other health issues.
Boris Johnson is breaking his pledges on the health service and agriculture. The agriculture and trade bills have sailed through the commons without the amendments to protect our food and NHS from being sold off to the USA.
Lower standard food ensures more food poisoning – the US has ten times the cases per 100,000 of population compared to the UK – and also more obesity and other health issues.
STAY TUNED!!!
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Watch out for our new summer campaigning, launching August 8th.
Is American food safe?
Mark Haller who lived in the US for some time talks about American food standards.