War of words as NFU president slams Jacob Rees Mogg as 'morally bankrupt'

A war of words has erupted online after NFU president called MP Jacob Rees Mogg ‘totally and utterly morally bankrupt' after he said he would welcome hormone-injected beef from Australia as long as it meant he could eat cheap food.

Following his comments, in which the former cabinet minister told the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester: "I want hormone-injected beef from Australia. I have eaten beef in Australia, it was absolutely delicious, there is nothing wrong with it and they should be allowed to export it here because we want lower costs."

Beef and dairy farmer Mrs Batters accused the former cabinet minister of revealing ‘an absolute desire to annihilate British ag'.

Unbelievable from @Jacob_Rees_Mogg - an absolute desire to annihilate British Ag - totally & utterly morally bankrupt. One thing's for certain the Aussies would have deported him if he were representing them. https://t.co/WFG2L5DvbR

— minette batters (@Minette_Batters) October 2, 2023

She continued: "Unbelievable from Jacob Rees Mogg... One thing is for certain, the Aussies would have deported him if he were representing them."

Mr Rees Mogg then retaliated on BBC Politics Live and accused the NFU of being a ‘pure protectionist organisation' which did not represent farmers ‘well' under Mrs Batters' leadership.

He said farmers in his constituency of North Somerset were producing food ‘effectively, cheaply and economically' and were ready to take on global markets which was in contrast to the aims of the NFU.

"Minette Batters and the NFU... what they want to do is hold agriculture back in a protectionist fortress that means you allow inefficient farming to carry on. You make it harder for the efficient farmers because they do not get the capital they want to invest. Protectionism hurts farmers and consumers. It puts prices up and it encourages inefficiency. What she is doing is a disservice to farming."

A whole host of industry members leapt to Mrs Batters' defence on social media with Joe Stanley stating: "The NFU have single handedly held this government's scorched earth agriculture & trade policy to account since 2016. Minette Batters is more widely respected & principled than any of the vast coterie of ‘former cabinet ministers' heading for political oblivion in 2024."

Tom Martin, chair of East of England Farming Conference and star of Born Mucky tweeted: "I feel better represented by @Minette_Batters than by @Jacob_Rees_Mogg, in fact I would put her in 10, Downing Street any time."

He then included the hashtag #RishiOutMinetteIn.

I feel better represented by @Minette_Batters than by @Jacob_Rees_Mogg, in fact I'd put her in 10, Downing Street any time. #RishiOutMinetteIn https://t.co/e5wGsWHya7

— Farmer Tom 🧢 🇺🇦 (@Farmer_Tom_UK) October 4, 2023

Farmer Conrad Palmer congratulated Mrs Batters and the NFU and said they were ‘doing what they are supposed to be doing, protecting interests of British Ag and not the few.

"Nice to hear @Jacob_Rees_Mogg ‘acknowledge' the champions of British Ag. Would be nice if he could do the same."