Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal in Brussels this week, British Labour MEP Paul Brannen said the best way for UK farmers to get a long-term sustainable support arrangement with Whitehall was to embrace the environment lobby. He also made the news recently for a spat with Diane Dodds over Brexit.

While farmers may not instinctively see the environment lobby as their natural allies, both parties do have common ground he said.

He also emphasised that the UK taxpayer, who would provide the funding, could be persuaded on the benefit of “public goods”, whereas all political ideology wouldn’t be in favour of supporting production.

The Conservative party instinct, he said, is free market, whereas Labour voters would take the view that if we didn’t support the coal miners why should we support farmers?

However, the MEP for the northeast constituency of England said he recognised the important role farmers could have as guardians of the countryside while at the same time maximising production of food for a country that historically has been an importer.

Greater focus on food security

While there is a different emphasis, there is also consistency between this and the thinking of many people in Brussels about the next CAP being focused on the environment and climate change.

There is a sense, however, that the EU Commission, including the president, have a greater focus on food security in the EU. The catchphrase of the Agriculture Commissioner is that farmers are the boots on the ground that will deliver environmental and climate change measures.

While the northeast region is associated with old, heavy industry such as coal and steel that have seen better times, there is also a huge rural hinterland with a large sheep population.

The prospects for UK access to the French market for sheep meat sales after Brexit is a local cause for concern.

Listen to "British MEP on why farmers need to embrace the environment lobby" on Spreaker.

Read more

Hogan launches CAP 2020 consultation