Dear John,

We dealt the government a massive blow on food standards. 

The government has agreed to parliamentary scrutiny of future trade deals in the Agriculture Bill. 

The Trade and Agriculture Commission is to become a statuary body with the powers to review trade deals for their impact on food, the environment and animal welfare.

But the Affordable Food Deal was launched to keep food affordable as well as healthy and safe. And that the government is yet to guarantee.

Food will become more expensive at the end of this year, unless the government secures a trade agreement with Europe. Staples like pasta, tomatoes, meat and dairy will be slapped with high tariffs.

Write to your MP and ask them to guarantee food prices are kept down. If the government is willing to U-turn on standards, we can get them to change their minds on this too. Write to your MP today.

While parliament has no power to stop trade deals outright, this is a significant climbdown for the government. It’s an admission our food standards could be on the table in future negotiations. There is still much more work to be done, to protect standards and keep our food affordable.

The first lockdown saw an enormous uptick of families accessing food banks. As the UK enters national lockdown for a second time, that number looks ready to soar again. The Trussell Trust expects 61% more people needing food this Christmas.

Many have never before needed emergency food. But gaps in government support, particularly for the self-employed, has widened the demographic hugely.

Now more than ever we need a trade deal with Europe which will avoid unnecessary tariffs our food and stem this shocking rise in food poverty. Write to your MP and urge them to keep food affordable.

The Affordable Food Deal welcomes this important step towards protecting our food and our farmers. But scrutinising trade with the USA or Australia is just a step.

Trading with our closest ally is the best way to keep food affordable, and to the high standards we currently enjoy. But until the government delivers the comprehensive deal with Europe we were promised, there’s no guarantee on either.

Best wishes,

Naomi Smith, 
CEO, Best for Britain