Thread by @lunaperla

🧵 on why you should be worried about Cummings ordering MPs to betray YOU by breaking Govt's manifesto pledge to uphold or even enhance our food, #AnimalWelfare & #Environment standards —plus why MPs should listen to you and vote for the Lords Amdts to the #AgricultureBill🚜:

Let's look at the numbers:

92% of the British Public want current farm animal welfare standards to be maintained in trade negotiations with the US and other countries.

(YouGov for #WWF, Oct 2020)

#SaveOurStandards

78% of the British Public think that our animal welfare standards are high.

So why would we want to lower them?

(YouGov 28Sep2020)

#SaveOurStandards

74% of the British Public oppose importing food produced using low welfare methods

(Which? Survey 2020)

#SaveOurStandards — it's the Will of the People
#AgricultureBill

68% of the British Public want legal requirements to ensure that animal welfare is protected

ONLY 3% oppose this!

(SOURCE: wcl.org.uk/warnings-of-pu…)

#SaveOurStandards by enshrining them in law - It's the will of the people! #AgricultureBill

81% want of the British Public want animal welfare laws maintained or strengthened

(SOURCE: wcl.org.uk/warnings-of-pu…)

#SaveOurStandards by enshrining them in law - It's the will of the people! #AgricultureBill

Turning to food standards, and there is near unanimity in the British people wanting to maintain our current high #FoodStandards.

95% - NINETY FIVE PERCENT

Now that's what I call *the will of the people*!

How dare arrogant MPs think they know better & defy it! #AgricultureBill

86% fear poor quality food will find its way into institutional meals (e.g. hospitals and schools).

We don't want our children eating that stuff.

#SaveOurStandards - it's the will of the people!
#AgricultureBill

We Brits are famous for our compassion to animals.

66% of us want to an animal protection committee established.

(SOURCE: wcl.org.uk/warnings-of-pu…)

#SaveOurStandards - #AgricultureBill

Why are we so keen on high #AnimalWelfare & #FoodStandards?
a) animals are sentient beings; they feel pain
b) low-welfare food = higher risk of human illness
c) meat from animals fed excessive antibiotics contributes to human antibiotic resistance
d) low standards = false economy

In their manifesto, on which they were elected, the Cons pledged to uphold or even ENHANCE food, animal welfare & environmental standards.

ENHANCE ≠ lower by the back door of trade deals

They also pledged to walk away from any deal that lowered our standards.

#AgricultureBill

56% of us have learnt from the industrial scale lying around Brexit, the COVID19 response & the *one rule for us, another for you plebs* mentality not to trust this govt to keep its word on #FoodStandards (of the other 44%, only 31% trust them).

#SaveOurStandards #AgBill

It's hardly surprising that the majority doesn't trust this govt when 95% of us want to maintain current food standards, but Dominic Cummings orders Tory MPs to vote against the #AgricultureBill amendment that would enshrine them in law.

Who elected him?Why do Tory MPs obey him?

Here's something every Tory MP should bear in mind.

Dominic Cummings sometimes, often, gets things WRONG. This is one of those occasions.

Why burn through your political capital to vote against something that the British people want, to appease Cummings, who is wrong on this?

The only person who gets it more wrong than Dom, is Dan.

Hannan has had an epic pearl-clutching session in The Telegraph. *Think not of US industrial farms & their lamentable methods, but of smallholders in Kenya*

Brexit = no more 0-tariff/quota access to UK for 47 LDCs.

Oh

So what do we propose? Enshrine our high food, animal welfare & environmental standards in primary legislation, and prevent ministers from disapplying it for the sake of a trade deal that won't make us very much richer & carries hidden costs that outweigh the benefits. #FairTrade

And don't think you can avoid the risks of imported health problems and the shame of condoning low-welfare production methods through trade by becoming a vegan.

The Americans have found ways to poison the public through fruit & veg too!

#AgricultureBill #SaveOurStandards

What can you do about it? Write to your MP.

Even if you're miffed with farmers over Brexit, or you've got a useless MP who always votes with the whip, write anyway. What ends up on your plate is too important not to.

.@BritishSave have made it easy:

savebritishfarming.org/write-to-your-…

The Daily Mail also has a prepared email, or if you want to write your own, a list of all Tory MPs' emails, in this article

(I know. The Daily Mail...)

#AgricultureBill #SaveOurStandards #SaveOurFamilyFarms
dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8…

MP Neil Parish's letter in the Mail on Sunday today was very good, so you could also forward that to your MP:

(I know. Twice in the same thread, let alone in the same year!)

#AgricultureBill #SaveOurStandards #SaveOurFamilyFarms

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8…

#NFU Scotland is urging people, especially small farmers and crofters, to write to their MPs and to lobby them on the #AgricultureBill, but do not appear to have a letter template.

thecourier.co.uk/fp/business/fa…

If like me you've already written to your MP, it won't hurt to do it again ahead of the vote:

"Parliament is sovereign. Please use your vote on #AgricultureBill amendments to protect public health, #AnimalWelfare & the #Environment. get the Govt to put safeguards in law.

cont.

Voters want it. Do not submit to front bench bullying, or to duress from unelected bureaucrats. Do not tolerate any denial of your vote on a technicality. Your constituents put you where you are and must come 1st."

Or words to that effect.

DO IT NOW, as #AgBill is back tomorrow