Neil Parish MP: “It’s been hard work, but I think we’re in a much better place now. We wanted firm guarantees in legislation and that is what we’ve got.”
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The government has been under a lot of pressure to provide reassurances over its trade discussions:
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Campaigners hail dramatic government climbdown in battle to protect post-Brexit food standards
Watchdog to finally get teeth to block chlorinated chicken and hormone-fed beef imports
… the new Trade and Agriculture Commission will be made properly independent, permanent and given the power to scrutinise each deal for its impact on food, welfare and environmental standards.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) hailed “a landmark moment”, saying: “This significant commitment to primary legislation on food standards is exactly what we have been calling for.”
And Neil Parish, a Tory rebel on the issue, said: “It’s been hard work, but I think we’re in a much better place now. We wanted firm guarantees in legislation and that is what we’ve got.”
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The Mail gives more context:
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And it follows rebellions – led in the Commons by senior Tory MP Neil Parish and in the Lords by crossbench peer Lord Curry – over claims that Ministers’ original plans for a temporary food commission were ‘toothless’…
Mr Parish, chairman of the Commons’ Environment Committee, said: ‘I pay tribute to the Government for listening and getting on the front foot, beefing up this commission and showing a real desire to uphold high standards in new trade deals.’
Brexit: Ministers must enforce high UK food standards in trade deals | Daily Mail Online
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Neil Parish – MP for Honiton and chair of the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee – has campaigned for farmers and food for some time:
Best Brexit Deal for British Agriculture | Neil Parish
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Today’s Farmers’ Weekly reports on the campaign will continue:
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Fight to ‘Save Our Standards’ goes on, despite government U-turn
Efforts are being stepped up to try to persuade MPs to support a ban on imports of food that do not meet the UK’s high standards, despite a move by government over the weekend to offer parliament more scrutiny of future trade deals.
On Sunday (1 November), international trade secretary Liz Truss announced that the recently formed Trade and Agriculture Commission would be put on a statutory footing, to be reviewed every three years.
But political observers and lobbyists say this does not go far enough, pointing out that MPs will still not have a right to vote on such deals.
Watch the video below from the Landworkers’ Alliance and read the rest of the report below…
Fight to ‘Save Our Standards’ goes on, despite government U-turn – Farmers Weekly