The charm offensive goes on with major speeches from Michael Gove and David Davis. Just as with Boris’s speech last week they are very thin on the detail of what trade deal they want. It is the detail and content that people need now as the NFU President outlines. Below Defra are spending £245m more on Brexit and Wrexit might a handy new word. 

David Davis – Regulations will be maintained – Vienna Speech

Commentary from Business Green He told an audience of business leaders that “we will continue our track record of meeting high standards after we leave the European Union”, before chastising anyone who, for whatever reason, ever doubted that this was the case. According to The Telegraph he is genuinely irritated the European Commission fears the UK could axe environmental and workers’ standards post-Brexit.

Michael Gove on Farming speech – Commentary      The Secretary of State has addressed attendees and delegates at this year’s NFU Conference in Birmingham, discussing a number of issues close to the hearts and minds of farmers ahead of the consultation paper for the Agriculture Bill later this year. A number of key stakeholders have already praised the government’s plans to improve animal welfare, as well as emphasising the importance of high quality food production, which the Secretary of State today claimed to be an important public good.     

Guardian Commentary Fiona Harvey Environment correspondent ‘Frictionless’ EU trade is vital post-Brexit for UK farming to survive. Farming union president Meurig Raymond takes veiled swipe at Liam Fox’s ‘cheap food policy’ at NFU conference Trade with the EU after Brexit needs to be “frictionless” if the UK’s food and farming sectors are to survive the transition, the president of the National Farmers Union has said at the opening of the NFU’s conference. Meurig Raymond, who farms a large acreage of mixed arable and livestock in Wales, said: “We must have frictionless trade with the EU. Everything else, including the final shape of any domestic agricultural policy, is dependent on that.” 

Defra gets £245m for Brexit budget

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and HMRC are among nine Whitehall departments to be given additional funding in the current financial year to meet the costs of preparing for Brexit, it has been revealed.

A parliamentary update on the Treasury’s 2017-18 Supplementary Estimates – the process by which spending plans are updated between Budgets and Autumn Statements – revealed on Monday that following chancellor Philip Hammond’s announcement of additional funds for Brexit, £245.1m has been made available to departments this year.

Wrexit – a helpful word for current times

Martin Brocklehurst:   Wrexit a helpful word to add to the current lexicon. As we suffer another content free speech from Boris another word …WREXIT appears. WRECKING jobs, WRECKING opportunities, WRECKING livelihoods more or less takes the advantages away from the UK economy even if the Treasury had the time and inclination to take advantage of the new powers should we stay in the customs Union and Free Trade area.  The word “Treason” used by the right wing press really should be applied to those wrecking the UK economy!