Politics

New Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland David Duguid speaks exclusively to Ewan Pate on trade, business confidence and why he voted against legal protection for UK food standards.

A House of Lords committee has warned agricultural disputes between the UK Government and devolved nations will become ‘increasingly likely’ after Brexit.

Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) president Glyn Roberts has been unanimously re-elected following a virtual meeting of the union’s Welsh Council.

Trade Secretary Liz Truss has announced the Government will set up a Trade and Agriculture Commission to explore ways to protect food production standards, just three weeks after Farming Minister Victoria Prentis rejected the

I have absolutely no objection to high animal welfare standards, but selling them as a magical business opportunity for UK farmers after Brexit is beyond laughable, says Norman Bagley, head of policy at the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS).

In Scotland, as in the rest of the UK, the Tories are preparing to sacrifice farmers on the Brexit altar by trying to prevent the Scottish Government from maintaining EU standards, says John Finnie, Green MSP for the Highlands and Islands.

With more than one million people backing food standards by signing the NFU petition to protect them in law, we may yet force the Government’s hand on this issue, says Tim Farron, agriculture spokesman for the Liberal Democrats.

Waitrose has vowed never to sell any food which does not meet the UK’s high standards, branding any regression in future trade deals a ‘backwards step’.

The UK Government and devolved administrations have launched a consultation on unfair practices in the dairy sector.

The Environment Agency (EA) is considering a system of environmental permits for the dairy and beef sectors to clamp down on pollution incidents.