Keir Starmer vows new trade talks with EU as he slams Tory Brexit

Farmers will be promised a closer trading relationship with the EU by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer after he accused the Conservatives of “giving up” on them.

The Labour leader is set to make his pitch to the rural community in a speech to the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) on Tuesday, where he will promise more community support officers and police in the countryside.

Starmer is set to argue that 13 years of Conservative rule have wreaked havoc on public services in rural areas, while crime rates have increased.

He will tell the conference: “If your village has an antisocial behaviour problem, or a fly-tipping problem, or off-road biking, and the only police officers around are in a station or custody suite miles away, filing an arrest, off the streets for hours- that’s a unique problem.

“We’ll get 13,000 more police into our towns and villages, more police on countryside streets.

“All of this requires a different approach. One that is designed - from the start - with respect for the challenges of the countryside.”

New policies on crime have been put forward by the Labour Party, with shadow justice secretary Steve Reed committing to “clean up squads” for fly-tippers.

The NFU have voiced concerns over trade deals that could scupper the work of British farmers, one notable example being Liz Truss’ one with Australia, as fears grow over post-Brexit Britain being too reliant on imports.

Starmer will tell the conference that a Labour government will uphold the priorities of British farmers.

He will say: “It was obvious the Conservative party had given up on farmers when they elected Liz Truss.

Farmers have harboured concerns over trade deals over fears of British produce being undercut
Brian Lawless

“Labour’s approach to trade will be very different - I can promise you that.

“We want to remove barriers to exporters, not put them up. We want to protect British standards, not water them down.

“We are going to talk to our friends in the European Union, and we are going to seek a better trading relationship for British farming.”

Thérèse Coffey and farming minister Mark Spencer are also set to speak at the conference, held in the International Convention Centre in Birmingham.

The EU’s common agricultural policy subsidies are set to be replaced by new post-Brexit nature payments schemes, meaning farmers will be striving to seek further clarity on what this entails for them.

Keir Starmer is yet to commit to a how a new post-Brexit payment scheme for farmers would work
James Manning

Many have voiced concerns over the new payments system as it could leave many unable to access funds.

Starmer will not explicitly mention the payments, and Labour are yet to commit to spending the same as, or more than, the Conservatives, who havepledged to £2.4billion a year to land managers.

The Liberal Democrats have committed to exceeding this budget.

Sir Keir Starmer will instead use the speech to pledge to looking at the supply chain, as many farmers feel it is unfair as they make less than a penny an item from popular supermarket produce such as bread and cheese.

He will say: “All around the world, businesses are looking again at the resilience of their supply chains.

“Reacting to the crises we have faced and will face in the future - countries must do the same.

“That’s not protectionist. It’s the reality of delivering national resilience in this new era.”