Bill to protect food standards is rejected - You can't trust them - but you still do...

[SirGalahad]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54506185

We warned you and told you, but silly Brexiteers voted this shower of poo into office and they will do exactly the opposite of what they promised.
This was enshrined in their Manifesto.

It's not leveling up. It's leveling down. You can have a side of antibiotic fed beef with some chlorinated chicken.

MPs have rejected the latest attempt to require imported food to meet domestic legal standards from 1 January.

They struck down a Lords amendment to the Agriculture Bill to force trade deals to meet UK animal welfare and food safety rules.

Campaigners have warned the UK could be forced to accept lower standards to secure a future US trade deal.

 

[bernardgreen]

the UK could be forced to accept lower standards to secure a future US trade deal.

Then the UK does not secure a trade deal with the US.

 

[SirGalahad]

Then the UK does not secure a trade deal with the US.

But that was the whole point of Brexit - to be free to strike all these wonderful trade deals.

'The day after we vote to leave, we hold all the cards and we can choose the path we want.' Michael Gove, April 2016

'I will be advocating Vote Leave because I want a better deal for the people of this country, to save them money and to take control.' Boris Johnson, Feb 2016

That's just a few of the quotes.

You were lied to and I suspect many of you knew that at the time but hoped it wasn't true - well it is. Project Fear is now Project Reality.

 

[SirGalahad]

https://www.indy100.com/article/prue-leith-bake-off-brexit-food-standards-farming-9720876

Brexiteer Prue Leith is now very worried about food standards and people don't have any sympathy

No sympathy for Prue - I hope she goes round every farmer and explains why she voted for Brexit.

Brexiteers were warned.

 

[JohnD]

Then the UK does not secure a trade deal with the US.

not a problem, we'll still be in the Single Market.

Won't we?

 

[Lower]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54506185

We warned you and told you, but silly Brexiteers voted this shower of poo into office and they will do exactly the opposite of what they promised.
This was enshrined in their Manifesto.

It's not leveling up. It's leveling down. You can have a side of antibiotic fed beef with some chlorinated chicken.

MPs have rejected the latest attempt to require imported food to meet domestic legal standards from 1 January.

They struck down a Lords amendment to the Agriculture Bill to force trade deals to meet UK animal welfare and food safety rules.

Campaigners have warned the UK could be forced to accept lower standards to secure a future US trade deal.

As ever, the devil is in the detail. This amendment would have actually prevented us importing a significant proportion of the food we currently from the EU and around the world, amongst creating other impractical and unrealistic barriers to actually importing much of the food we already import.

You're automatic assumption that we'll be in a race to the bottom is just not true and you're over simplifying to try and make a dramatic point.

 

[SirGalahad]

As ever, the devil is in the detail. This amendment would have actually prevented us importing a significant proportion of the food we currently from the EU and around the world, amongst creating other impractical and unrealistic barriers to actually importing much of the food we already import.

You're automatic assumption that we'll be in a race to the bottom is just not true and you're over simplifying to try and make a dramatic point.

How so would it have prevented us? Whats the exact part you are referring to?

We will be in a race to the bottom.

 

[Lower]

How so would it have prevented us? Whats the exact part you are referring to?

We will be in a race to the bottom.

The bill would have required imported food to comply with UK standards at every stage in its production. Eg the grain fed to cows would have had to comply with UK standards, the straw used in their bedding would have had to comply with UK standards etc etc. Not only that, it would have required all activities involved in the production of the food to comply with our standards and not limited to the food itself, eg noise, water consumption, etc.

Our standards already exceed the EU's standards in a number of food and food production related areas, so that would have prevented some EU foodstuffs being sold here. It would also prevent foods that we don't grow at all eg tea or cocoa being sold here at all.

This intention of this amendment wasn't necessarily wrong, but the way it was written was wrong and impractical and is why it was rejected.

Bearing in mind that our standards already exceed the EU's own standards, and we weren't forced to adopt those higher standards, why are you so adamant that we'll move away from those higher standards?

You really need to have a better understanding of how standards work, how more and more prescriptive standards increase costs, make industries uncompetitive, stifle innovation and sometimes have exactly the opposite effect of their intention. Some and appropriate standards are the right thing to have, but having standards for standards sake can be counterproductive and this amendment is a perfect example of that.

 

[Vinty]

While in any future trade deal the UK might be obliged to import American food but there is no law that says you have to buy it.

 

[Vinty]

There are over 2 billion people in the British commonwealth who want to sell Britain their stuff.
No one is under any obligation to buy American/EU goods, there should be plenty of other sources which are probably cheaper anyway.

 

[motorbiking]

How so would it have prevented us? Whats the exact part you are referring to?

We will be in a race to the bottom.

how so? when..

The government says EU rules banning imports of chlorine-washed chicken and other products will be automatically written into UK law once the post-Brexit transition period ends on 31 December.

 

[JohnD]

The government says

is that the same government that signed an agreement with the EU, fought a UK General Election saying it was great, "oven ready" and then said it was terrible and they intended to break it?

 

[motorbiking]

nope

 

[JohnD]

so it's a foreign government. Which country?

 

[JohnD]

Our Plan | Conservative Manifesto 2019

With a new Parliament and a sensible majority Government, we can get that deal through in days. It is oven-ready and every single Conservative MP elected at this election, all 365 of them, have pledged to vote for this deal immediately.

Boris Johnson‍

Prime Minister