EU-Australia trade deal drives home Boris Johnson’s incompetence – Carmichael

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has today warned that the new EU-Australia trade agreement “drives home just how disastrously Boris Johnson mishandled our own trade negotiations” in 2022.

Mr Carmichael cited in particular the terms agreed by the EU on Australian meat imports. The EU agreed to a beef quota rising to 30,600 metric tons after 10 years, with a smaller quota of around 25,000 tons for sheep and goat meat.

By contrast, the UK in 2022 agreed to a beef quota starting at 35,000 tons in the first year alone, before rising to 110,000 tons by year 10, with sheep meat starting at 25,000 tons and growing to 75,000 tons. After year 10, UK quotas are removed and tariffs fall to zero, though temporary safeguards can apply if imports surge.

After leaving government, former Conservative Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, George Eustice, admitted that the UK-Australia agreement was “not actually a very good deal for the UK”.

Mr Carmichael said:

“The EU-Australia agreement really drives home just how disastrously Boris Johnson mishandled our own trade negotiations with Australia and New Zealand in 2022. It was an act of utter self-harm, driven by their political desperation to secure trade deals regardless of what was in them.

“The fact that we gave away more beef quota on our own than the EU did across 27 member states – not just per capita, but in total – should make it plain as day that a better deal could have been reached were it not for the Tories’ incompetence. Farmers and crofters are now going to pay the price.

“Farmers in the isles and across the UK produce food to some of the highest standards in the world, and we are rightly proud of that fact. Quality food production in this country is essential and must be supported, not undercut – the current government must learn from the mistakes of their predecessors.”