New Brexit deal could be major boost for farming, Burnham says

New talks with Brussels scheduled for next month will be a chance for Britain to improve trade conditions significantly for farmers, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said yesterday, in the latest sign that he favours a much closer relationship with the bloc.

He told the Commons yesterday afternoon it would be a ‘dereliction of duty’ not to seek a new deal with the EU, which he said would be worth £10 billion a year for the UK economy.

It comes after he used his party conference speech to say Brexit had “done more harm than good” and that his party could hold a second referendum on EU membership if it wins the next election.

But yesterday, he said there was now a majority view among the public that a better trading relationship was needed.

As well as a food and drink deal, the two sides will also discuss a youth mobility scheme which could potentially involve visa-free working for younger people, and an agreement on emissions trading to avoid European carbon taxes on British businesses.

Mr Burnham said an improved deal was: “A chance to cut costs and bureaucracy for sectors like farming.

“At present, entire truck loads of plants or fresh produce can be destroyed because of a single missing stamp, or a minor paperwork delay.

“Fresh meat and fish spoil while waiting in trucks, and tonnes of exports have to be written off.

“Our largest food export, Scottish salmon, faces a 100 per cent rate of document checks at the border, costing us about £100 million in lost exports.

“British burgers and other fresh meat products cannot be sold in the EU. Seed potatoes from Scotland and shell fish from Wales are banned.

"This is having a real impact on businesses, and the agreement on the table could reverse some of that damage.

“For farmers and food producers, it will lift the burden that can reach £1,400 on a single shipment. For our small businesses, it will mean no more export health certificates which can cost up to £200 each time.

“For households it will ease the pressure on prices in the supermarket.”

Mr Burnham also announced that the UK-EU summit, which was postponed after the resignation of Sir Keir Starmer, will now be held on November 20.

Speaking more broadly about a potential deal, Mr Burnham said: “It is in Britain’s interests to secure this deal.

“I believe our chances of doing so will be enhanced by being open to a discussion about our relationship with the EU in the longer term.

"If we are serious about promoting growth, controlling immigration, upholding our values and security, it is a conversation we must have.

“Sticking with the status quo is not good enough for Britain. Worse, it would be a major dereliction of duty to turn away.

“We need to take a calm, clear-eyed rational look at the world as it is today to decide what is the best for our country."

She said: “He has just blurted out everything he wants in this statement and I will tell him now, as a former trade secretary, this is not how you conduct negotiations.”

Mr Burnham also elaborated on claims last week that Russia had interefered with the Brexit referendum, saying it was ‘inconceivable’ they had not sought to influence the vote.

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