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Brexit farming fund 'income support for super rich'

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The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee is made up of five Labour members, four Tories and one each from the SNP and DUP

A special fund to prepare farmers for Brexit would in some cases be "income support for super rich", an MP says.

Newport West's Paul Flynn sits on the Commons' environment committee but opposes a recommendation in a report on how leaving the EU could impact the food trade.

The Labour MP said a special fund should not be set up to help.

Committee chairman, Tory Neil Parish, said the government should help farmers adapt to new trading circumstances.

Farmers have already been guaranteed subsidies at the current EU level until the 2022 election and the proposed fund would be in addition to this.

Mr Flynn told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement programme: "The special fund is rather like asking for your cake, eating it, and then demanding a second cake."

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, states without an EU-UK trade deal, farm exports face tariffs from March 2019.

It acknowledges the UK government's intention is to agree a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU, but says "there is no guarantee that this will occur".

The fund would therefore help the UK's agricultural sector as it adapts to the post-Brexit environment.

But Mr Flynn questioned this, saying in England, "the main bulk of the support" - one in every five pounds - "is given in subsidy to a millionaire or billionaire".

"The only industry that has been guaranteed to have funding for the foreseeable future is farming," he said.

"At the moment we are wasting millions in giving grants to farmers who are rich. This is income support for the super rich in may cases," he added

Paul Flynn MP
Paul Flynn has been MP for Newport West since 1987

Mr Parish said 60% of the UK's agricultural exports and 70% of its imports were from the EU.

He believes it is "vital" the government articulates its vision for protecting both and considers the funding to help farmers adapt.

"We should under no circumstances compromise on our world-renowned animal welfare, environmental, and food standards," he said.

"Brexit should be an opportunity to improve, not undermine, our global reputation for quality."

The National Farmers Union (NFU) echoed the report's findings and its chief EU exit adviser Gail Soutar said there would be "significant impact on Britain's farmers and domestic food supply" if no deal was reached.