Protecting British Food Standards

13th October, 2020

Last night the Government voted down attempts to ensure high British food standards are protected in future trade agreements.

I made my views very clear during the debate, as I have every time I have spoken on this issue in parliament. The UK has an opportunity to lead the world in raising environmental and food standards; the alternative is a race to the bottom, with cheap imports undercutting UK farmers and putting public health at risk. If you didn’t see Channel 4’s dispatches programme last night on the horrors of the industrialised US food system, from overuse of antibiotics, pesticides and insecticides to horrifying animal welfare and hygiene standards, I’d recommend you seek it out. No-one – except, it seems, the Government – wants the UK to become like the USA.

We cannot trust the Government to protect UK standards in future trade deals. We need to see this in law.

Here’s some of what I had to say yesterday:

Protecting British food standards

Last night the Government voted down attempts to ensure high British food standards are protected in future trade agreements.I made my views very clear during the debate, as I have every time I have spoken on this issue in parliament. The UK has an opportunity to lead the world in raising environmental and food standards; the alternative is a race to the bottom, with cheap imports undercutting UK farmers and putting public health at risk. If you didn’t see Channel 4’s dispatches programme last night on the horrors of the industrialised US food system, from overuse of antibiotics, pesticides and insecticides to horrifying animal welfare and hygiene standards, I’d recommend you seek it out. No-one – except, it seems, the Government – wants the UK to become like the USA.We cannot trust the Government to protect UK standards in future trade deals. We need to see this in law.Here’s some of what I had to say yesterday:

Posted by Kerry McCarthy MP on Tuesday, 13 October 2020