UKIP United Kingdom Independence Party : Brexit Agriculture plans are "Slow, opaque and ill-considered"

Stuart Agnew MEP, UKIP's Agriculture spokesman has responded to the Secretary of State for Agriculture's plans announced at today's key Oxford Farming Conference, describing them as slow, lacking in detail and ill-considered,

'I feel that she is hiding behind 'we are having consultations', he said, 'That will work for now, but it certainly will not work going forward.

'I was particularly incensed that the chairman wouldn't allow my question to the Mrs Leadsom, I am both a farmer as well as a politician and the question was both relevant and needs answering'.

Mr Agnew, who farms in Norfolk and is a former Council member of the National Farmers Union wanted to know,
'What would be the Governments reaction to probable EU bans on certain pesticides crucially including glyphosate? Arable farmers are desperate that we keep this material, no ban is threatened anywhere else in the world and having one would put our arable farmers at a disadvantage compared to their competition.

'Her headline grabbing suggestions such as not putting up EU adverts on the edges of fields and a move away from the three crop rule are either cosmetic or likely at the EU's instigation anyway, so hardly amount to a policy string of beans.

'Until we trigger Article 50, she, the government and the industry will remain hamstrung by EU control of the sector.

'If we want British farming to prepare for a life outside the EU with all the concerns and opportunities that departure will throw up, and we must, then the Government needs to get on with it'.