Sir Keir Starmer is quietly putting Britain’s food security back on the negotiating table in his desperation to get closer to the EU. The British people voted to take back control of our laws and borders, but Labour seems set on handing our sovereign powers straight back to Brussels, without even a seat at the negotiating table.

With every concession Starmer lines up, another part of our food, farming and fishing security will be signed away. First, we hear our fishing rights could be surrendered to the French. Now Labour are apparently preparing to sacrifice our ability to set our own food and agriculture rules.

Thanks to Brexit, we’ve banned live animal exports, brought in tougher rules on animal testing, reformed restrictive EU wine and horticulture regulations, and rolled out new support schemes tailored to British farmers and protecting our environment. We also cut EU-era red tape holding back innovation in agri-tech and gene-edited crops – reforms that would be impossible under EU law.

With Labour’s open borders policy leading to record numbers of small boat crossings this year, Starmer seems determined to use farming and fishing to curry favour with the EU.

In previous governments, rural and coastal communities would be able to rely on their Secretary of State to stand up for them – but not this one.

For those of us who believe in democracy, the result of the referendum should be honoured by this Labour government. Otherwise, Labour will be responsible for a backroom Brexit betrayal – and those who care for our food, farming and fishing industries will not forget.