AS THE UK Government’s European Union (Withdrawal) Bill passed one of its first hurdles in the House of Commons, NFU Scotland returned to Westminster to meet with MPs from various parties to press the needs of Scottish agriculture from the Brexit negotiations.

A day of meetings with MPs saw union president, Andrew McCornick, director of policy, Jonnie Hall, and political affairs manager, Clare Slipper, lay out what a ‘good deal’ for Scottish food producers would look like.

Discussions included calls for a sensible approach to immigration, which would allow Scottish agriculture and food processing industries access to EU workers for seasonal and permanent, skilled and competent labour.

The union also pressed for a re-drawn agricultural policy for Scotland post-Brexit, with a ringfenced budget and flexibilities to allow the Scottish Government to develop a sensible and suitable policy that fits all Scottish agriculture.

Mr McCornick said: “There is no doubt that Brexit represents one of the biggest challenges to the farming and crofting sectors.

“These meetings build on discussions that we’ve been having with MPs since June last year on the need to secure sensible trade agreements, continuity in labour supply, and a new agricultural policy post-Brexit to secure the future of our industry.

“However, Brexit also presents a new and important opportunity to replace elements of EU agricultural regulation that are bureaucratic, ineffective or ill-tailored to farming conditions in the UK and Scotland," he said. “These meetings represent NFUS entering the next phase of its engagement on Brexit as it identifies areas of regulation which we want policy-makers to redress soon after the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill takes effect after EU exit day.

“NFUS welcomes the positive reception it received from parliamentarians of all parties in discussing these vital issues on behalf of its members, and will revisit Westminster within the month to continue these important discussions.”