Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called on the prime minister to back British farmers by guaranteeing the UK’s high food and farming standards in law after Brexit.
Ahead of a visit to National Farmers’ Union president Minette Batters’ farm, Sir Keir warned that without action there was a “real risk” of lower quality food ending up on British plates.
He has written to Boris Johnson urging amendments to the Agriculture Bill, which sets out farming policy after Brexit, to guarantee high standards and stop imports of lower quality food.
The call comes amid growing concern that post-Brexit trade deals could allow imports of food produced in ways that would be illegal in the UK, undercutting British farmers and lowering standards for produce available to consumers.
The Government has made repeated pledges that high environmental, animal welfare and food safety standards will be maintained, and food such as chicken washed in chlorine and beef from cattle fed with hormones will not be allowed in the UK.
However, the Conservatives have rebuffed attempts to include the protections in the Agriculture Bill going through Parliament, arguing existing laws already enshrine them and they have no intention of watering them down.
The National Farmers’ Union has led calls for the Government to put into law rules that prevent lower standard food being imported to the UK, with a million people signing a petition backing the move.
A survey for Which? found nearly three quarters of people did not think food from countries with lower standards should be on sale in the UK, and several supermarkets have pledged not to stock such foods.
Sir Keir said: “No one wants lower quality food on our plates, but unless the prime minister shows some leadership and backs British farmers there is a real risk this could happen.”
In his letter to the PM, he said: “I want our country to produce the best food in the world, where our farmers compete on the basis of quality and are not undermined by producers working to lower standards elsewhere.”
A Government spokesperson said: “This Government has been clear it will not sign a trade deal that will compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards, and claims to the contrary are unhelpful scaremongering. We are a world leader in these areas and that will not change.
“Chlorinated chicken and hormone-injected beef are not permitted for import into the UK. This will be retained through the EU Withdrawal Act and enshrined in UK law at the end of the transition period. The Government is focused on getting trade deals that protect and advance the interests of our farmers and consumers. If a deal isn’t the right one, we will walk away.”