Review looking at farm subsidy allocation to be held amid growing row

An independent review looking at the allocation of CAP farm subsidies in the UK is to be held after a widening rift between devolved nations over which administration gets what.

Scotland's Rural Economy minister Fergus Ewing accused the Treasury of a "great rural robbery" of £160m in funds, which he says "rightly belongs" to Scotland.

Mr Ewing met Defra Secretary Michael Gove on Monday (6 November) and agreed to an independent review, with the details to be decided by the end of the year.

Even Scottish Tory MP Alister Jack wrote to Defra Secretary Michael Gove asking him to review the "convergence uplift" and assess how the UK government can ensure Scottish farmers receive a fair settlement.

The UK qualified for additional funds for farmers from the EU back in 2013 as a "gesture of goodwill", because of the low area payments made to Scottish farmers under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

But in 2013, Westminster decided to distribute the funds throughout England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, rather than solely target it in Scotland.

The Scottish government contends that England, Wales and Northern Ireland were all above the qualifying threshold of 90% of the EU average, but Scotland sitting at 45% meant the UK was eligible for a £190m "convergence uplift" in funding.

After the meeting with Mr Gove, Mr Ewing explained that he was "pleased that we reached agreement on a way forward on this longstanding issue".

However, he warned that while "much-needed progress" had been made, a resolution was still "some way off".