𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Labour signing up to yet more EU regulations could lead to the rising food prices at home, it has been claimed. As part of the controversial EU reset talks underway between London and Brussels the Government are said to be on the cusp of agreeing to new food regulations. It would mean the country signs on to Eurocrat-set rules called ‘Sanitary and Phytosanitary’ measures intended to govern how food is produced.

Critics accused Labour of handing over control of food standards laws entirely to the bloc, which Britain voted to leave in 2016.Writing for the Sunday Express, Conservative shadow minister Victoria Atkins MP writes that “the price of those new laws, bans and checks will fall on producers”.

She argues that such costs would “inevitably be passed onto shoppers, making all our food shops more expensive.” Goods such as live animals, seafood, seeds and animal feed are set to be covered by the deal, as well as pesticides.

Estimates from the group CropLife UK suggested that an SPS agreement with the European Union could land British farmers with a bill of £800million in the first year alone.

Additional checks on the border could see, according to the Fresh Produce Consortium, a £300million per year cost incurred by producers. The changes come at a time of increased pressure for British food producers, who have seen changes to national insurance, business rates and a new packaging tax.

Ms Atkins urges Andy Burnham, the new Prime Minister, to do what he can to help bring down the cost of living.

But she warned it would “take courage for him to disagree with Keir Starmer and stand up for UK food producers.”

The Express has long campaigned to leave the Euoprean Union, and launched its ‘Give Us A Proper Brexit’ campaigner earlier this year.

That campaign pushed for a reduction in EU red tape, the imposition of a protected fishing area around the UK, and the country to leave the ECHR.

A Government spokesperson said: “Far from increasing prices, an agri-food and drink deal with Britain’s largest trading partner will slash the costly red tape that only helps drive up supermarket bills and add up to £5.1 billion a year to our economy.

“By removing border checks, we are backing British farmers, producers and businesses and making it easier to export our world-class products to European markets.”