So, this is a Brexit problem which I am very aware of due to my work, and I suspect there are other similar issues in other fields which I’m not aware of, which is, quite frankly, terrifying.
So, if we leave the EU we also leave the Common Agricultural Policy. With the Withdrawal Agreement in place, the switchover to the UK’s new agriculture policies would have happened in a controlled and slow way.
Although, exactly what those policies are STILL hasn’t been worked out, because although various policy papers and an Agriculture Bill have been knocking around for a few months now, there has been no work done to flesh out the details.
If we leave without a deal, we crash out of the CAP overnight and there is nothing - NOTHING - in place to replace it.
What should have happened is that Parliament, given the crisis we are in, should have called off the summer recess and worked all goddam summer long to get the Agriculture Bill (and other similar bills such as the Fisheries Bill and Environment Bill) through.
But instead, we are now in the situation where Parliament will be prorogued, which means that not only do MPs have less time to deal with these absolutely vital pieces of legislation, but in fact the Agriculture Bill as it stands now will be completely WIPED because any unfinished parliamentary business is usually dropped when Parliament is prorogued. It could be carried over to the next session, but some MPs are claiming that this is unlikely to happen.
So, they will either have to start again from scratch with the Agriculture Bill or use crude statutory instruments (which are subject to less scrutiny) to manage farming in the event of no-deal Brexit.
Ditto the Fisheries Bill (we are also leaving the Common Fisheries Policy overnight). It’s terrifying.