THE SNP’S treatment of farmers has been an absolute disgrace.

Nationalist ministers have presided over a total debacle in delivering vital CAP payments – the new system was being designed while their attention was concentrated on the independence referendum, and while they should be fixing it they are obsessing over a second divisive independence referendum.

Farmers know the difficulties this has caused and they have paid the price. 2016 will go down in farming history for the constant failures of the CAP IT system that the SNP forced on farmers and crofters across Scotland despite its huge insufficiency for the task.

Lengthy delays in payments, incorrectly calculated amounts, overpayments coupled with short deadlines on clawing it back and the SNP government constantly talking down the sheer size of the issue has pushed many of our farmers and crofters to the edge.

Not only has this cost farmers and hurt the rural economy, it has seen £170million of taxpayers’ money squandered because of SNP incompetence. Former Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead was told of the difficulties with the IT system back in 2013, but chose to keep quiet because of the SNP's divisive referendum.

This simply isn’t good enough.

Labour is opposed to independence and a divisive second independence referendum – and a vote for Labour on June 8 will send Nicola Sturgeon a message to get back to the day job.

But it is not just the SNP that is letting farmers down. The Tories’ pursuit of a reckless hard Brexit is putting the future of CAP payments at risk as well.

The Tories have prevaricated over whether or not they will continue farm subsidies. There is no guarantee they will not view farmers as expendable as the Tories lurch towards their shambolic Brexit negotiations.

Labour will fight to make Brexit work for working people, including farmers.

The Tories' reckless Brexit gamble has put key Scottish exports like black pudding, Scotch beef and whisky at risk.

Food and drink exports are a key part of the Scottish economy, particularly for our rural areas. Any post-Brexit trade deal must protect the status of our key food and drink products.

The Tories would sell our farmers down the river. Only a Labour government will fight to keep the protected status of key British food and drink products – and fight to ensure farmers get a fair deal.

In Scotland that will mean legislation around farming and agriculture, fisheries and rural development will come to Holyrood and further empower the Labour-founded Scottish Parliament.

We will allow EU workers employed across farming, fishing and food manufacturing to remain in the UK and reinstate the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme.

We would introduce a Health Food and Farming Bill which would retain the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board, which is vitally important for setting minimum wage levels, conditions, and maintaining strong health and safety practices across farming and horticultural sectors.

We will ensure there is no drop in EU structural funding that occurs as a result of Brexit until the end of the current EU funding round in 2019/20.