Rural economy secretary Fergus Ewing has said he will deliver convergence money and support for hill farmers – or resign. Ewing made his comments at an NFUS fringe event at the SNP conference in Glasgow on Monday.

Responding to questions from delegates at the NFUS event, Mr Ewing explained that in 2013, the EU created the concept of convergence payments to level out regions that received lower-than-average CAP sums, and that the UK qualified for convergence money only because of Scotland’s shortfall. The fact that Scotland only received 16% of the £160m sum was not acceptable.

“The money was pilfered, snaffled, appropriated,” said Ewing, who was applauded for telling conference-goers that he had told Michael Gove that “we want our money back” at the Royal Highland Show. “Unless the UK Government maintains support for hill farmers, thousands will stop farming. Tens of thousands of family businesses will cease to exist,” Ewing reported saying to the Defra Secretary.

“I’m a simple guy. If I pursue something, I have to deliver it or resign. We are under real threat from London and their treachery at the moment,” Ewing concluded.

Both the Scottish Government and NFUS have written to Michael Gove in recent weeks to make the case for returning the full convergence sum to Scotland.

Martin Kennedy, NFUS vice-president, who was among union representatives at the fringe event, said: “NFUS has repeatedly called for a review and eventual reallocation of intra-UK allocations of CAP Pillar 1. A review process of these allocations is now well overdue. An objective and nondiscriminatory review will also be a significant step forward in re-allocating future agricultural support budgets within the UK after we leave the EU.”