TORY MPs have broken ranks to call out the Government for “denying” scrutiny of its trade deal with Australia which will “punish” Scottish farmers and food producers.
The Australia-UK free trade agreement will not be debated by MPs in a move branded “completely unacceptable”.
Opposition MPs were joined by Tory members in criticising the Government from “running away” from difficult questions on its trade deal with Australia, which it is feared will undercut UK farmers with cheap produce from the country flooding UK markets.
The Government was accused of “breaking promises” on the trade deal, which was signed last year and is the UK’s first international trade deal signed post-Brexit.
MPs representing rural constituencies said farmers in their areas were concerned their produce would be undermined by the lower food standards and cheaper prices on Australian goods.
Despite not granting a debate on the agreement, the Government was taken to task over the deal by Tory MP Anthony Mangnall, who sits on the international trade committee, chaired by SNP MP Angus MacNeil.
He asked the Government to delay ratification of the deal and demanded a debate on the agreement, as was promised by Liz Truss in October 2021, when she served as trade secretary.
Mangnall said: “Both the chairman of the select committee and I have very different perspectives on the Australia Free Trade Agreement.
“But despite that, we both wholeheartedly believe in the need for scrutiny in this place of that agreement.
“This is the first trade agreement, the first whole new trade agreement we have signed since leaving the European Union, but unfortunately, we have not had the scrutiny we deserve.”
Alicia Kearns, the Conservative MP for Rutland and Melton, said while she had “enormous respect” for the minister defending the Government’s position and that the deal had “much to commend it”, she was frustrated promises had been broken.
Significant concerns were raised by the SNP international trade spokesman Drew Hendry, who said the deal guaranteed “pennies” compared with the trade benefit of EU membership.
He added: “This deal will punish the food and farming sectors.
“The Prime Minister’s former food tsar has outlined Australia’s ‘abysmal record on deforestation, animal welfare, and climate’.
“The benefits of this deal are pennies compared to the amount we are losing from not trading as much with our EU neighbours.”
He said the Government was “flouting” its own advice, which had warned about the risks the deal posed to UK producers, and said ministers were content to “sacrifice the food and farming” sector.
Ranil Jayawardena, an international trade minister, defended the Government’s position and insisted MPs had been given time to scrutinise the deal and would vote on legislation to bring it into force in the future.
He told the Commons: “This legislation will be fruitfully scrutinised and approved by Parliament.
“I should point out that we expect Australia to conclude its parliamentary process before we do, therefore any delay to our process slows the deal’s economic benefits from being felt across Britain.”
