ALMOST THREE and a half years on from when the UK decided to leave the EU on June 23, 2016, Brexit has been delayed three times and a general election looms, with the UK public due to take to the polls this coming Thursday, December 12, to decide on the UK Government that will take us forward.

With the Brexit can well and truly kicked down the road and no further negotiations taking place until after the general election, uncertainty over a future outwith the EU has remained firmly on the minds of Scottish agriculture who are awaiting answers.

The SF asked the rural spokespeople for Scotland’s five main political parties to hear what they have to offer Scottish farmers and crofters and what assurances they could give to those who are still undecided on who they wish to lead them through the coming months. Next up we spoke to Scottish Labour...

COLIN SMYTH MSP (Scottish Labour)

"A LABOUR government will support farmers and crofters in Scotland and across the UK, allowing the agriculture sector to grow and adapt to meet the challenges of the future.

Our rural communities are particularly vulnerable to Brexit, and no deal or a bad deal would have a devastating impact on Scottish agriculture. Labour will prevent a catastrophic No Deal Brexit and give voters a choice between a credible deal and remaining in the EU.

We are committed to maintaining our close relationship with the rest of the EU to uphold the high standards in agriculture, minimise regulatory divergence, protect the UK from cheap imports and maintain access to the workforce the industry needs.

Whether we leave the EU or not, the way we support our rural communities needs to change. We need a fairer support system, which distributes money more equitably to small producers, improves productivity and properly incentivises environmentally friendly practise.

In 2030 the sector faces ambitious targets on both carbon reduction and sectoral growth, but continued political uncertainty and a lack of targeted support is preventing the change we need. The sector understands that- and is up for change. But there has been a lack of leadership in Government in Scotland and the UK to drive change.

Scottish Labour will work with the sector to develop a new system to underpin the development of a greener, more productive agriculture system, and Labour will ensure that Scotland has the funding it needs to implement such a system. Under Labour, Scotland will continue to receive our current share of agriculture funding.

More than ever, we need a Government for the many, not the few and that includes addressing the supply chain imbalance between farmers and crofters and big business - starting by strengthening the remit of the Groceries Code Adjudicator to end the unfair treatment of producers.

Labour’s plans to end austerity and properly invest in public services will provide a boost for the wider rural economy, allowing investment in rural education and skills and improvement in connectivity. We are committed to rolling out free full-fibre broadband for every person across the UK, which will have a transformative impact in rural Scotland. Currently only 7% of properties on Scotland are currently full fibre, with coverage in the Highlands and Islands at just 1.2%. Access to free full-fibre broadband will unlock opportunities for individuals and businesses alike, finally tackling Scotland’s digital divide.

A Labour government will also invest an additional £100 billion in Scotland’s infrastructure. This will allow investment in rural transport infrastructure, unlocking the potential of our rural communities so our nation’s prosperity and opportunities are felt beyond our cities and rural Scotland gets the real change it needs."