After the Prime Minister’s defeat on part of her Brexit deal – the withdrawal agreement – in the House of Commons last week, NFU President Minette Batters said: “It is appalling that with just two weeks to go there is currently no agreement or clear way ahead which will avoid a catastrophic, disorderly exit from the EU. British farmers, just like wider British businesses, have been placed in an awful position of uncertainty by our own Government and Parliament.
“This is having real world business consequences right now as well as causing unnecessary stress and huge anxiety on British farmers who simply don’t know what trading conditions they will be operating under in a fortnight’s time.
“I want to make clear that a no deal exit would be economically disastrous for British farming and is something that no responsible politician should contemplate.
“We stand with other farming organisations in our call for Parliament to unite around a single clear option and if this isn’t possible then Government must request an extension to the Article 50 negotiations that provides sufficient time to allow MPs and Government to establish a single way forward.”