Breaking response from the Prime Minister:
"I do not remember meeting, or even hearing of, Mr Cummings. To my knowledge, I have never worked with a Dominic Cumming. Did I mention I'm having a wedding?"
Currently on BBC PM:
"The big issue of the day is Boris says he has never met Dominic Cummings, Dominic Cummings said he words for the Boris Johnson. Which is true? How can we tell? I guess we'll never really know!"
Laura and the BBC making it very clear she isn't part of the story.
The EU are negotiating a deal with Australia at the moment too, so it looks like we're going to be in a great position to compare the deal the EU got for its farmers with the best the UK government could manage.
And it's important to note that we haven't seen if the deals we've rolled over are better or not.
Because the exact same deal rolled over, doesn't mean it's equal...
For example, if an EU deal with Mexico gave them quota access of 500 million tonnes of meat, that would be a tonne of meat per person in a 500 million person market.
There is a consistent noise of an over nostalgic trade relationship from people who know as much about our trade relationship in the 70s as they did about all those tariffs the EU puts on the poorest countries in the word. 🙄
UKATA is in no way, shape, or form, reciprocal tariff free trade.
Apart from anything else, trade deals are supposed to be long term. If you believe in the free market, you have to accept that buying and selling patterns are not fixed and market led.
And of course, this. Production can increase to meet demand.
Once again, shelf price and purchase price are not the same thing.
The supply chain needs to be paid.
Food imported at distance is more susceptible to oil price.
Food imported at distance is more susceptible to the competition of other markets.
Food competing with your domestic market weakens food security.
In a free market investors move their money from products that start making less money.
If there is less production and demand remains the same, prices can rise.
The reduction of tariffs should not be seen as a guaranteed cost benefit to the consumer.
Any cost benefit can result in structural changes which ensure this is short term, and actually worse for the consumer.