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"Free trade deal with Australia will undercut farmers like me"
May 21, 2021
Andrew Brown, a farmer in Rutland, discusses his concerns about the Australia Free trade deal agreed today.
As a farmer, today I feel like I have been betrayed by our government. Today it was reported that the government will offer Australia a free trade deal that will phase out import tariffs over the next 15 years.
Farmers like me have been begging the government not to do this, not just for the sake of UK farming that will not survive being undercut by cheap imports from Australia, but also for the sake of our consumers - people like you.
Zero tariff trade with Australia with no quota restrictions will mean that food produced using methods that are illegal in the UK will be sold at prices that undercut UK produce in our supermarkets. I am proud of the UK’s high environmental and animal welfare standards. But as things stand, UK farmers face being undercut by food produced at lower standards and consumers will be eating hormone-fed beef.
I am furious and it is time for us to take a stand. Boris Johnson’s government promised that British farming would be protected. They told us that sustainability was a priority for them, but actions speak louder than words and I simply don’t believe them.
As part of today's Action Day, I am asking you to take action and write to your MP and tell them that you will not stand by and let damaging deals like the Australia trade deal drive down British standards.
I will write to my MP
Thank you for standing up for British farming, Using the European Movement’s tool, it takes just five minutes to send an email to your MP but if we all do it together, we could have a huge impact.
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Government set to trade away our standards in Australia deal
May 19, 2021
This week there has been a debate in the cabinet about the post-Brexit trade deal with Australia, and it all comes down to the quality of the food on our plates, the impact on our environment and the future of our farming.
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By Sam Murray, Musicians’ Union activist and European Movement member.
Less than 50 days to protect our rights
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By Wiebke Rueterjans, EU citizen in the UK and European Movement activist.
Jersey stand-off entirely predictable as Boris Johnson ignores island's Constitutional Rights
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Barry Brown, a European Movement member based in the Channel Islands, writes about the Jersey fisheries dispute - and the culpability of Boris Johnson's government in creating the dispute.
Democracy doesn’t stop when the election is over
May 06, 2021
Today’s local, national, and municipal elections are the biggest test of public opinion since the 2019 general election. And unlike in that election and the Brexit referendum, EU citizens living in the UK can vote. Voting is a way to make ourselves heard, shape the debate and send a message to those in power. Get out and vote today!
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