A STORM of criticism has been sparked after Angela Leadsom — the leading Brexiteer who said sheep could be replaced with butterflies on Scottish hills — was appointed to a high-profile campaign promoting British food.
Leadsom, who is also in favour of removing direct support from farmers, has been made chair of the Great British Food Campaign to build the UK’s reputation as a great food nation. The appointment has been cited by the SNP as evidence of the Tories’ “brass neck” while highlighting why “they cannot be trusted” to represent Scotland’s rural interests.
“It is blatantly clear that the Tory government has no interest in protecting Scotland’s rural communities — their failure to ensure Scotland gets its fair share of EU and other monies shows us exactly that,” said Calum Kerr, SNP MP and Environment and Rural Affairs spokesperson at Westminster.
“Their determination to drag Scotland out of the EU against our wishes will only increase the Tory-inflicted damage to our rural communities.
“Their failings are not limited to these areas — with the threats to Fort George and Kinloss, failure to improve grid connections and tackle high transmission charges for Scottish islands, and historic failure to protect Scotland’s fishing interests, the list goes on and on.”
Kerr said that it was very concerning that Leadsom, one of the most ardent Brexiteers, had been appointed as minister for the Department of Food and Rural Affairs, given her previous desire to remove direct support from farmers. As the minister for Defra she will chair the Great British Food Campaign at a meeting today.
“In the week when statistics show Scotland’s food-and-drink sector achieving record growth and success, the Tories have a brass neck putting a minister in charge of a new Great British Food campaign who only a few short months ago was advocating the replacement of sheep with butterflies on Scotland’s hills,” said Kerr.
In the run-up to Brexit, Leadsom said: “It would make so much more sense if those with the big fields do the sheep, and those with the hill farms do the butterflies. That would make a lot more sense for the UK and it’s perfectly possible, but only if we leave the EU and sort it out for ourselves.”
She has also said: “The direct payments to farmers in Pillar 1 of the CAP should be phased out.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here