Food standards frustration after latest Commons vote

Food standards campaigners have expressed their frustration with the government after it voted against giving MPs a final say on future agri-food trade deals.

A Lords amendment to the Trade Bill sought to ensure greater parliamentary scrutiny of future agricultural trade deals, including a final yes or no vote on any deal.

But the motion was defeated by 353 votes to 277 in the House of Commons after Boris Johnson’s government whipped its own MPs to vote it down.

See also: Trade advisory board says no backsliding on food standards

Now the amendment will return to the House of Lords in the week beginning 2 February for another stage of legislative tussle, known as “ping pong”, when a bill is passed between the two houses.

🗳 Trade Bill Votes 🗳

During yesterday’s debate on amendments to the Trade Bill made by the House of Lords, I voted against the Govt in favour of retaining an amendment that guaranteed both Houses of Parliament a vote at the beginning & end of a trade deal negotiation. 1/6 pic.twitter.com/VmVsypPAlS

— Julian Sturdy MP (@JulianSturdy) January 20, 2021

The latest government refusal to commit to enshrining food standards into law follows a number of similar rejections of Lords’ amendments to the Agriculture Bill, which had sought to protect British farmers from cheap food imports produced to lower health, animal welfare and environmental standards than in the UK.

The government has repeatedly insisted that it will not sign any trade deals that undermine British farming interests – and it will not allow cheap food imports such as US chlorinated chicken and hormone-fed beef into the country.

It has established a Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC) to scrutinise post-Brexit trade deals – but its role is advisory only.

However, as it stands, ministers could sign off any trade deals that don’t meet the high British food and farming standards.

The NFU warned that the role of the commission will be much weaker if MPs are not given a final vote on any future trade deals.

‘Not fit for purpose’

The union likened the UK government’s procedures for ratifying new trade deals as “from a bygone era, and no longer fit for purpose”, and insisted “this has to change”.

NFU director of trade and business strategy Nick von Westenholz said: “For farmers and for everyone who wants to eat high-quality food, it is crucial that our MPs are properly able to represent their constituents and are given a meaningful role in approving trade deals.

“Without this, the work of the recently announced Trade and Agriculture Commission, which will advise MPs on the impact of those deals, will be much weaker.”

MPs also voted down an amendment to the Trade Bill supported by agri-food lobby group Sustain UK, which would have added public health to the responsibilities of the TAC.

Sustain said the government committed to upholding British food standards in its election manifesto – and warned that any attempt to weaken them “will be highly unpopular with voters”.