SCOTTISH TORY MP DISMISSES FARMERS' CONCERNS OVER FOOD SAFETY

I was astounded to hear Scottish Tory MP John Lamont imply that the National Farmers Union (NFU) is spreading misinformation about cheap food imports flooding the UK market and undercutting our excellent quality produce, when I challenged him on their concerns in Parliament yesterday.

The Tory Government has refused to introduce proper safeguards to protect food standards after the UK leaves the European Union, and we face the prospect of chlorinated chicken and hormone injected beef flooding into our supermarkets from the United States.

Whilst Scottish farmers produce food of the highest quality, a trade deal with the US looks set to flood our markets with inferior, substandard products about which consumers are rightly concerned. Especially since US trade negotiators oppose labelling of their products to the UK as US products. The NFU is not alone in its concerns for our food safety standards in the UK post-Brexit.

UK Ministers must not sell out domestic producers and food manufacturers.

It is time Tory MPs representing Scotland's communities stand up for our farmers, high quality produce and, ultimately, public health.

See my contributions to the debate below.