As the UK goes to the polls on Thursday, the only question seems to be is what size of majority the Labour party will have in the new Parliament. The Conservative party, which has been in power since 2010 looks like a beaten docket, with a betting scandal involving senior party members being one of the many low points of a lack-lustre campaign for re-election.

Brexit and a difficult divorce from the EU will be very much the legacy of the outgoing government, but what can farmers expect from a Labour government?

And from an Irish farming perspective, will it have any affect on Irish trade with Britain?

The short answer is probably yes.

One of the few significant policy differences between the Conservative and Labour parties on future EU relations is a willingness by Labour to enter a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) deal with the EU, whereas the Conservatives wouldn’t.

This would remove the need for veterinary certification for goods with animal or plant origin as well as a major trade blockage and cost caused by Brexit.

For its part, the EU has previously made clear a willingness to have such a deal, but since then the UK has made trade deals with Australia and New Zealand.

Even if there is a willingness on the part of a new Labour government to make a deal in principle, it would come with terms and conditions and it should also be remembered that the EU make up has changed post the recent elections as well.

Benefits of SPS/veterinary deal

Assuming a deal can be put in place it would be excellent news for Irish exporters to Britian, as the need for veterinary certification on every consignment would be removed, as would border checks.

This would save time and money and, while not a return to the single market seamless trading, it would still be a big improvement.

An SPS deal would also solve most of the logistical problems around the “border” between Britain and Northern Ireland, which has been politically controversial and logistically a hindrance to farmers trading across the short stretch of water to Scotland.

This is a demand from the Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) in their own manifesto for the election, where they highlight the problem with veterinary medicines, animal movements and access to seed, and they ask “that the next UK government urgently seeks a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS)/ veterinary agreement between the entire UK and EU”.

Money

Unlike farmers in the EU, or indeed the US, the budget for agricultural support to replace the CAP is dealt with on an annual basis.

This means that even though agriculture is devolved to the regional administrations across the UK, they in turn have to secure finance from central government in Westminster to deliver their devolved policy.

In practice, this means that Westminster has ultimate control via holding the purse strings.

The farming unions across the UK have made a request that the incoming government moves to a 10-year multi-annual framework budget that is index-linked for inflation.

They have also included a request that the incoming government commits to productive agriculture and food security.

Party manifesto

As for what is likely to happen, agriculture merited just a brief mention in the Labour party manifesto ahead of the election.

Traditionally, UK farmers have been associated with the Conservative party and to some extent the Liberal Democrats in rural areas, particularly the southwest and northwest of England.

Labour voters have been historically urban and the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats made more of a pitch to farmers with manifest commitments to increase the budget by £1bn annually.

However, Conservative government have fallen out of favour with farmers the and while they are unlikely to be enthusiastic about a Labour replacement, indifferent is maybe the best word to describe their attitude to this election.

Another point of difference between the Labour and Conservative party manifestos was on the issue of badger culling to control TB spread in the cattle herd.

The labour position was that it was “ineffective” in addressing the problem, suggesting that the process would stop under a Labour government.

However, that position has been muddied in recent days, with the Labour Shadow Secretary at the Department of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) saying that Labour in government would allow existing licences to cull badgers continue until 2026.

The Conservatives for their part have committed to a continuation of the cull under licence.

Comment

From the minor reference to agriculture in its manifesto, it is clear that the sector won’t be a high priority for a Labour government. However, if it followed through on its commitment and succeeds in getting a SPS/veterinary agreement deal with the EU, then farmers and traders across the island of Ireland would benefit. Similarly, UK importers of animal and plant products who have had great difficulty since the government introduced border controls earlier this year, would find this blockage removed.

In short