Scottish Tories on warpath as Boris threatens farmers with post-Brexit Australia deal

Australia trade deal: Expert discusses impact on Scottish farming

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The Scottish Conservatives are on a collision course with Downing Street over Boris Johnson’s proposed post-Brexit free trade deal with Australia. The deal would grant Australia tariff-free access to Britain’s food markets, potentially threatening the business of British farmers and crofters in the Scottish Highlands. Michael Gove, the Cabinet Secretary, and Environment Secretary George Eustice are reported to be concerned about the deal’s implications and are locked in a feud with International Trade Secretary Liz Truss, who views the deal as the UK’s first major post-Brexit trading step.

Speaking on BBC Newsnight, the programme’s political editor Nicholas Watt laid out the reasons behind the Scottish Tories’ alarm. 

“There’s real concern among the Scottish Conservatives about this plan to grant tariff-free access to Australian food exporters,” he said. 

“The same access the EU market has to the UK market.”

“These concerns are being raised in the coming days. The fear is that Highland farmers just simply would not be able to compete with large-scale farming in Australia.”

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Watt also added that the SNP shared the Scottish Conservatives’ concerns over the impact of the deal on Scottish Farmers.

He said: “I’ve been in touch with Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, and he’s saying ‘look if this deal is approved it would just pull the rug from under Scottish crofters and farmers.’”

“He talks about how crofting, in particular, is a subsistence activity which makes vulnerable and rural communities viable.”

“He said this move would devastate and could even end crofting as a viable activity and a way of life that has endured for generations.”

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The proposed trade deal with Australia is backed by Boris Johnson but has yet to be finalised. If passed, it would be the UK’s first free trade deal since leaving the EU and is planned to be phased in over a period of 15 years.

The Financial Times first reported the rising tensions between Ms Truss, and Mr Eustice and Mr Gove.

Ms Truss is said to view the deal as essential to the UK’s post-Brexit future, and is determined that trade with Australia should be on a no-tariff, no-quota basis, similar to the deal made with the EU.

Fellow Conservatives are concerned however, that the UK’s agriculture industry could be hit hard by the deal, particularly in Scotland and Wales. Michael Gove is said to be particularly concerned about its potential impact on the Union.

Mr Watt said: “Liz Truss is saying ‘look, if we can’t do this with Australia what hope is there of other standalone deals?”

“George Eustice [has] big concern for farmers,” he said. “And Michael Gove big concern for the Union.”

“The view in the environment department is that this is a really complex issue. Agriculture is always complex.”

Mr Eustice is said to be concerned to both protect the interests of British farmers and to avoid the UK’s food standards dropping over any trade deal.

Liz Truss is seeking to close the deal before the G7 summit hosted in Cornwall in June, to which Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been invited as a guest.   

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