Sir Keir Starmer must stand firm against the EU when it comes to post-Brexit freedom to develop gene-edited crops banned by Eurocrats, a farming boss warns.
Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers’ Union, speaking in Birmingham (Image: NFU)
A farming union boss has warned that access to gene editing and pesticides are in “real jeopardy” as the UK seeks a closer trade relationship with the EU.
Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers Union (NFU), suggested the UK risks undermining its progress on technological advancements.
He said: “We welcome the principle of an improved relationship with the EU, one that reduces friction and enables better trade at a time of global instability. But the devil will be in the detail. We have to get it right, and there is real jeopardy.
“We mustn’t sacrifice our hard-won technological advantage in gene editing, or our access to GB approved plant protection products in order to reach a deal.”
Some crops, including strawberries, onions, potatoes, barley and wheat, are being sprayed with pesticides banned across Europe.
The UK’s post-Brexit “precision breeding” legislation has opened the door for the rapid development of more nutritious and resilient food crops using genetic technologies.
After Brexit, the UK passed the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 which created a distinction between gene editing and genetically modified foods.
Farming bosses have voiced concerns that this advantage could be lost under “dynamic alignment” with EU rules as the government seeks closer trading ties with Europe.
The NFU is lobbying for an exception to be applied to the government’s gene editing legislation to ensure it is not affected by a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement being negotiated as part of Keir Starmer’s EU “reset”.
The Daily Express has launched the Give Us a Proper Brexit campaign to ensure Britain fully uses the freedoms allowed by exiting the EU.
Mr Bradshaw also took aim at the Government over the 14-month inheritance tax fight following Rachel Reeves’s 2024 budget decision to heap the levy on farmers.
Speaking at the NFU’s yearly conference in Birmingham, he said “we still believe the inheritance tax policy is fundamentally flawed” while calling on political parties to make axing the family farm tax a manifesto promise.
The government made a sudden U-turn in December when it reversed its stance on inheritance tax, raising relief for farms and businesses from £1million to £2.5million.
This followed a long-fought Express campaign called Save Britain’s Family Farm – which continues to demand the Government scrap the tax entirely.
