Defra minister Gove 'breaks promise' on cheap food, says Farron

MIchael Gove, the new environment secretary at Defra
MIchael Gove, the new environment secretary at Defra

Outgoing Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has attacked new Defra minister Michael Gove for 'u-turning on cheap food'.

During the referendum campaign, Tim Farron said Mr Gove promised British consumers they would enjoy 'cut-price groceries' due to there being more imports from outside the EU.

However, with the government's 'hard' Brexit under threat as the Conservatives are split over the single market and customs union, Gove has 'rowed back from his promise,' said Farron.

"This is yet another Brexit lie, to go with the £350m a week extra Michael Gove promised the NHS," Tim Farron said.

"The public are already suffering a Brexit squeeze of higher prices and shrinking product sizes due to the devastating devaluation of the pound caused by Theresa May’s extreme Brexit.

"Meanwhile, farmers are still waiting to hear if the Conservatives will continue as part of any post-Brexit arrangements to give them the subsidies they currently receive from the EU."

But Mr Gove, speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today today (19 June), said his promise on cheaper food was achievable.

"One of the things about food prices is that they depend on a variety of different factors. I think we can have cheaper and higher quality food," he said.

Guaranteed billions

New plans drawn up by negotiators have said the UK could continue to receive EU farm subsidies for two years after leaving if it keeps up with budget payments.

Negotiators are considering an offer to solve problems caused by the UK leaving the EU before the end of the seven-year budget.

The current Chancellor, Philip Hammond, last year guaranteed billions of pounds of UK government investment after Brexit to keep current levels of funding under CAP until 2020 as part of the transition to domestic arrangements.

Hammond said: "The Treasury will offer a guarantee to bidders whose projects meet UK priorities and value for money criteria that, if they secure multi-year EU funding before we exit, we will guarantee those payments after Britain has left the EU."