SIR, – Former Prime Minister John Major is right to call the UK government’s White Paper on Brexit as “flimsy”; and it certainly is for Scotland’s farmers and crofters.

For such an important all-encompassing issue as Brexit all they dedicate to agriculture is 193 words.

But it is just 34 words on agriculture that will raise alarm bells for farmers and crofters.

On agriculture they say: “…with EU spend on CAP at around €58bn in 2014 (nearly 40% of the EU’s budget), leaving the EU offers the UK a significant opportunity to design new, better and more efficient policies.” 

That doesn’t sound like the promise Tory farming minister, George Eustice gave when he told farmers “that the UK government will continue to give farmers and the environment as much support – or perhaps even more – as they get now”.

“Efficient policies” rings like those government weasel words of ‘efficiency savings’, or cuts as everyone else knows them.

Under the 1998 Scotland Act, any powers not specifically reserved to Westminster automatically devolve to the Scottish Parliament. Yet Theresa May is now signalling she will break this fundamental principle and take those agricultural powers back under central control.

Considering Theresa May is desperate for a trade deal with Trump which could open up the UK to American produce, this will set alarm bells ringing for Scotch quality producers. 

Why else would Mrs May want agricultural policy in the hands of Westminster instead of Holyrood?

This May, there are local elections and Scotland’s agricultural communities can send a message to the UK government that they will not be taken for fools by the use of weasel words about ‘efficiency’ or cuts by any other name, and not have their industry opened up to a trade deal with Trump’s America.

James MacDonald
Oban
Argyllshire