Harrogate district Conservative MPs Andrew Jones, Julian Smith, and Nigel Adams voted against an amendment to the Agriculture Bill yesterday that would have forced any future trade deal to meet UK food safety and animal welfare requirements.
The government said the amendment was not needed as it had already committed to ensuring UK food standards would be retained in any post-Brexit trade deals.
MPs voted by 332 votes to 279 to reject the House of Lords amendment. Former Harrogate councillor and current York Outer MP Julian Sturdy was one of 14 Tory rebels who voted against the government.
The bill will now return to the Lords.
Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesperson Judith Rogerson accused Andrew Jones of “selling out” farmers.
She said:
“It’s disappointing to see Harrogate & Knaresborough’s MP fail to stand up for local farmers by voting to allow countries with lower standards undercut them.
”The UK should be leading the way in upholding the highest environmental and animal welfare standards, not selling out our planet, animals, and farmers for the sake of future trade deals.”
Read more:
- MPs WATCH: Care home visits, the Brexit bill and a visit to Ripon Cathedral
- Harrogate district MPs vote as Brexit bill clears Commons
Farming minister Victoria Prentis told the Commons the government was “absolutely committed to high standards”.
Last week, protestors met outside Mr Jones’ constituency office in Harrogate urging him to vote down the amendment.
Philip Knight, who attended the protest, told the Stray Ferret he was worried the bill would lead to lower food standards in post-Brexit trade deals:
“Personally, I’m worried that because of Brexit and a frenzy for a trade deal that the government is going to make some mistakes and lower food standards in this country, which will affect not only what we eat but the livelihoods of farmers.”
The Stray Ferret asked Mr Jones, Mr Smith, and Mr Adams for comment but none had responded at the time of publication.
Protesters demonstrate outside Harrogate MP’s office against agriculture bill
Protesters gathered outside Andrew Jones’s office to urge the Harrogate MP to vote against the government’s Agriculture Bill.
Demonstrators staged a peaceful protest with placards amid fears the bill will open the door to low-standard meat from the United States.
It came as part of other protests by farmers and campaigners held around the North Yorkshire and the country. Campaigners also urged the five other North Yorkshire MPs, including Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith and Selby and Ainsty’s Nigel Adams, to vote against the bill.
Read more:
- Andrew Jones urges PM to give support package to conference sector
- Planning reforms will ‘erode local democracy’, says council report
MPs are due to vote on the legislation on Monday when it returns to the House of Commons. The House of Lords recently voted for an amendment to require any any imported food products to meet UK standards.
Richard Sadler, volunteer organiser for Save British Farming in North Yorkshire, said the purpose of today’s demonstration was to call on MPs to “do the right thing”.
He said:
“We want to shine a spotlight on what our MPs are doing in our name.
“What we are asking Andrew Jones and other MPs is to do the right thing and vote for the amendment to the Agriculture Bill.
“This is symbolic, but it is all we can do to bring attention to what is going on.”
Philip Knight, a teacher from Shaw Mills, was among the protesters outside Mr Jones’s office this afternoon. He said he was worried that the government would make a mistake by passing the bill.
Mr Knight said:
“Personally, I’m worried that because of Brexit and a frenzy for a trade deal that the government is going to make some mistakes and lower food standards in this country which will affect not only what we eat but the livelihoods of farmers.”
The Stray Ferret approached Andrew Jones for a comment on the demonstration, but received no response.
Alongside today’s protest, farmers demonstrated in Stokesley and Swindon where tractors were driven through the towns with placards which read “save British food”.