Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, has expressed his extreme disappointment with the Government for failing to protect food standards.
Yesterday (12 October), in votes on the Agriculture Bill, the Conservative Government rejected proposals to require imported food to meet domestic legal standards from 1 January when the transition period ends.
This means that the UK could be forced to accept lower food standards to secure a future US trade deal. This could mean the import of products like chlorinated chicken or beef fattened with hormones and the potential for British farmers to be undercut.
Andrew Gwynne said:
“I am very disappointed, but sadly not surprised, that this Conservative Government has failed to back British farmers.
“The Government have said that they will maintain food and animal welfare standards after Brexit but every time the opportunity presents itself to do so, they fail to take it.
“British farmers – and British consumers – deserve so much better.”