Stephen Crabb MP
The urgent need for a UK agri summit, which brings all 4 administrations together to discuss constitutional arrangements for the UK in light of Brexit, was reinforced by the Farmers’ Union of Wales at Pembrokeshire County Show.
In a meeting with Stephen Crabb MP and Simon Hart MP, Union officials stressed that a cross Government Agricultural summit is absolutely essential in order to progress the vital constitutional issues that need to be addressed before powers are repatriated from Brussels to London.
Speaking at the meeting FUW Deputy President Brian Thomas said: “The FUW sees 3 major phases in the UK’s exit from the European Union: the Article 50 process, which has already started and the constitutional issues that need to be resolved. The second phase of leaving the EU when trade relations will be to the fore and the third being the long term changes that can then be made only once trade relationships are understood.
“We appear to be focusing all our energy on the latter phases, whilst ignoring the critical constitutional arrangements that need to be established by the UK government and all devolved administrations. They need to be working collaboratively to develop a solution and that's why we have renewed our call for such a UK agri summit to be held as soon as possible.”
Mr Thomas added that whilst there are arguments for powers to be repatriated and held in London, there are also clear options to return them immediately to the devolved nations, within an agricultural trade framework that will not disrupt trade negotiations in any way.
