Well our #OFCBitesize yesterday was certainly appropriate for Guy Fawkes Night, setting a few "fireworks" off on screen.
Former Prime Minister of Australia and appointed adviser to UK Board of Trade, Tony Abbott and NFU President, Minette Batters debated the future of UK agricultural trade.
Here is a sneak preview:
Mr Abbott said, “When it comes to trade the aim should always be to freely trade high-quality goods and services. Historically Britain has always welcomed goods, ideas, people and capital. Britons have always had a robust sense of their capacity to do things well, and to learn from anyone who might be able to do better. That is why Britain has made such an extraordinary and unique contribution to these times and that’s why global Britain should be able to do more for the world, and for itself, than a Britain that needs to double check things with Brussels,”
With the recent announcement of a Trade and Agriculture Commission to safeguard UK interests, Minette Batters noted that the public want any future trade to be fair and transparent.
“We formed the most extraordinary coalition of groups and people led by Jamie Oliver which led to one million people signing our food standards petition. What it says is that people want our trade to ultimately be fair and not undermine our farmers.
“My role is to speak truth to power, and our government made an ironclad commitment that they would not undermine farmers.
“For all of us on the periphery, it is parliament that should and can decide our future. And with a majority government, it is absolutely vital, being a country that is made up of four nations, that this is an open and transparent process and not dictated behind the four walls of the Department International Trade,” said Mrs Batters.
