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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to think Brexit voters did not foresee the gov shafting UK farmers

104 replies

SancerreSunsets · 19/05/2021 15:58

During the build up to the 2016 referendum I saw several massive boards advertising Leave in local farming fields ... as a pro-European, it was the sight of these boards that made me worry about the potential outcome of the vote and my fears became reality.
Now it's possible that Johnson's gov will agree a trade deal with Australia that will flood our market with cheap Australian produce (that is not subjected to the same standards as in EU countries). It's even being suggested that this will make farming in the UK unviable and the gov will have to pay farmers off! This seems mental! Brexit voters I know are keen to buy British produce. Will they and the Brexit voting farmers now being to complain about the Brexit they're being given? They might be listened to more than Remain voters ... we tried for years are generally ignored.

OP posts:
toconclude · 19/05/2021 16:09

If they had known they still wouldn't have given a toss. All about sticking it to Johnny foreigner, innit? Oh and blue passports.

borderforce · 19/05/2021 16:19

No they won’t care because “sovereignty.”

RuggerHug · 19/05/2021 16:21

They'll only care about supporting British until they see the prices. If Aussie is cheaper, forget loyalty.

Wiredforsound · 19/05/2021 16:25

No, Boris Johnson could have set fire to a farm live on National television and nobody, not even farmers, would have given a shit. They’d all have stood around cheering. None of this has anything to do with logic or common sense.

CarrieBlue · 19/05/2021 16:27

They should be used to reaping what they sow. I’d like to say I feel sorry for them but that would be a lie.

ThursdayWeld · 19/05/2021 16:30

will flood our market with cheap Australian produce (that is not subjected to the same standards as in EU countries)

Is Australian meat of lower quality than EU meat?

In what way is zero tariff from Australia different from zero tariff from EU? EU is a lot bigger!

FOJN · 19/05/2021 16:36

The government haven't agreed to tariff free access yet and they are not united in their views on the matter. Flooding the market with cheaper imports, animal welfare and environmental standards are all areas of concern.

www.farminguk.com/news/government-must-stand-up-for-farmers-in-australia-and-nz-deals_58213.html

Brokensharted · 19/05/2021 16:43

This reply has been deleted

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Odagled · 19/05/2021 16:45

They don’t give a shit because all that matters is sovereignty. We could regress to the Middle Ages for all they care, as long as we’ve “taken back control”.

DeeCeeCherry · 19/05/2021 16:47

Farmers are reaping what they sowed. They voted for Brexit and got it. That's it really

SancerreSunsets · 19/05/2021 16:47

I'm also concerned about food miles ... how is importing food from Australia, rather than buying British produce, or French/Spanish/Italian/Dutch etc. compatible with a green agenda?

OP posts:
Blacktothepink · 19/05/2021 16:47

Yanbu!

Notonthestairs · 19/05/2021 16:49

Fairly certain the NFU advised farmers to vote Remain - so I'd assume most farmers will have considered the possible downsides to a Leave win.

Do we actually know whether farmers broadly voted in favour of Brexit?

Panicmode1 · 19/05/2021 16:51

The only people I know who voted for Brexit were farmers (and my MIL!). I don't know what they were expecting to happen - it seemed to be mainly about EU subsidies being unfair. Between the fishermen and the farmers, our food production looks stuffed.

I would like to continue to buy local, British produce but I wonder how long farms will be there for.....

AIMummy · 19/05/2021 16:52

@DeeCeeCherry

Farmers are reaping what they sowed. They voted for Brexit and got it. That's it really
And the fishermen.
ThursdayWeld · 19/05/2021 16:53

Does anybody fancy answering my questions, at all? Smile

will flood our market with cheap Australian produce (that is not subjected to the same standards as in EU countries)

Is Australian meat of lower quality than EU meat?

In what way is zero tariff from Australia different from zero tariff from EU? EU is a lot bigger!

Mytiredeyeshaveseenenough · 19/05/2021 16:55

Oh to be a remainder with both their encyclopedic knowledge and ability to foresee the future.

Still amazes me that remain could have possibly failed to convince a majority of voters if it's all so disastrous. Maybe if they'd have spent less time calling people names?

newnortherner111 · 19/05/2021 16:56

I think the only thing they might have foreseen was Mr Johnson becoming Prime Minister. I doubt they cared about farming, about Northern Ireland, about any other negative impacts of the act of economic self-harm. Most Brexiteers including Nigel Farage did not expect it to be a Leave vote in any case.

namechange34 · 19/05/2021 16:57

I'm Aussie in the UK. The first time I took my European DH around an Aus supermarket he was WTF at the meat. The chicken breasts are almost double the size of those you find in Sainsburys Grin

Pedalpushers · 19/05/2021 16:57

@ThursdayWeld I don't know what the welfare standards of Australia are, but they are set by Australia, not us, unlike the ones in the EU that we had a say in and definitely matched our current food standards. We won't be able to say that for other areas.

InTheHeatOfTheSun · 19/05/2021 17:00

I hardly think you can hold Spain up as being compatible with a green agenda. Have you any idea of the environmental impact of fruit and vegetable growing in Almerīa for example? Or the trafficking suffering of the migrant workers?

TooBored1 · 19/05/2021 17:00

@Notonthestairs

Fairly certain the NFU advised farmers to vote Remain - so I'd assume most farmers will have considered the possible downsides to a Leave win.

Do we actually know whether farmers broadly voted in favour of Brexit?

Judging by all the farmers I know, and the number of vote leave signs in farms, I think they did.
ThursdayWeld · 19/05/2021 17:01

[quote Pedalpushers]@ThursdayWeld I don't know what the welfare standards of Australia are, but they are set by Australia, not us, unlike the ones in the EU that we had a say in and definitely matched our current food standards. We won't be able to say that for other areas.[/quote]
And people call Brexiters xenophobic! You are assuming that Australia must have worse standards than the EU, based on - what?

WomenAreBornNotWorn · 19/05/2021 17:02

If you care about welfare standards and air miles probably best to stop eating animals from any continent.

pabloescobarselasticband · 19/05/2021 17:03

@ThursdayWeld

Does anybody fancy answering my questions, at all? Smile

will flood our market with cheap Australian produce (that is not subjected to the same standards as in EU countries)

Is Australian meat of lower quality than EU meat?

In what way is zero tariff from Australia different from zero tariff from EU? EU is a lot bigger!

They don't really want to answer because this thread is just a goady attempt at starting a row with and insulting those who voted for brexit! You know like spoilt children throwing a tantrum because they didn't get their own way!