PRESSURE is mounting on the UK Government to confirm that it will replace, in full, all the European Union funding that the rural economy will lose when Brexit comes into force.

A key promise of the 'Leave' campaign was that farmers and rural businesses would have access to the same – or perhaps even greater – level of financial support if the UK left the EU. But four years on, with Brexit set to become administrative reality in just over a month, the country's devolved administrations were this week still seeking assurances that rural budgets would be maintained.

Ahead of the UK Spending Review, the devolved administrations of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have written collectively to the UK Government demanding that it make good on its commitment to UK farmers that they will not lose out as a result of leaving the EU.

Defra minister George Eustice received a letter jointly signed by Scottish Rural Economy Cabinet Secretary Fergus Ewing, Welsh Minister for Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths, and Northern Irish Minister for Rural Affairs Edwin Poots, noting that their last letter on the subject 'remains unanswered'.

The devolved ministers bluntly told Mr Eustice that the UK government's failure to have 'authentic collective engagement' about future rural budgets was unacceptable, as was its 'reneging on public commitments'.

"Cumulatively you are asking our farming and rural communities to lose out on the following levels of funding over the 2021-22 to 2024-25 period; Scotland – £170.1 million; Wales – £160 million; Northern Ireland – £34 million," said the letter.

"Further to these fundamental concerns, you will also be very aware of representations made by the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government regarding the 2021-22 budget," it continued. "The failure by Her Majesty's Treasury to account for Inter-Pillar transfers in payment year 2020-21 has resulted in the Scottish budget being £49.5 million less than expected and the Welsh budget being £42 million less than expected.

"At the heart of all of these matters is the choice made by the UK Government not to collectively engage with us on an equal footing. We trust you will now seek to work with us as a matter of urgency to deliver upon your own commitments and offer certainty to all of our farming communities and your own."

Commenting on this latest missive from the devolved nations, Mr Ewing warned that farmers and rural communities across the four nations were set to be 'financially penalised' by Brexit: "We have repeatedly asked for clarity and certainty but this seems to fall on deaf ears and time is running out," he said. "The UK Government is refusing to respect the devolved administrations and has broken a commitment by not engaging with us as equals in decisions on the allocation of funding that will ultimately affect us all.”

Welsh Minister Ms Griffiths said: “We have always been clear Wales should not lose a penny as a result of leaving the European Union. Unless we get an urgent reconsideration from the Treasury, our farmers and rural communities will lose out on over £200m.”

Northern Ireland’s Mr Poots added: “We are now in the final hours before the spending review is announced and the clock is ticking – loudly in our ears. The UK Government must recognise its responsibility to engage in a meaningful way with us and to ensure that funding is allocated, not just in a way that is fair and right, but in the way that the Government committed to doing so.”