Statements in Parliament by former Secretary of State for Agriculture George Eustice confirm that trade deals with Australia and New Zealand gave away massive access to the UK food markets in exchange for negligible benefits.
Speaking earlier this month in Parliament, Mr Eustice told MPs that the UK "gave away far too much for far too little in return" despite starting negotiations "with the strongest possible hand", and that negotiators were undermined by former Minister Liz Truss demanding that a deal with Australia be struck before the G7 summit in Cornwall in June 2021.
Mr Eustice has confirmed everything the FUW has stated throughout. The positive spin given by Boris Johnson, Ministers and MPs about these deals at the time was complete nonsense.
The FUW has always known and made clear that these deals sell UK farmers and food security down the river in exchange for virtually nothing. The UK gave away massive and ultimately complete access to UK markets for beef, lamb and dairy products in exchange for minute benefits, all in order to meet deadlines for politically expedient press releases.
Mr Eustice also told Parliament that Australian negotiators had been allowed to "shape the terms" of the agreement, and called for the Department for International Trade's head to be sacked, saying now was "a good opportunity to move on and get a different type of negotiator in place - somebody who understands British interests better."
The deals are recognised around the globe as being incredibly weak and had made a laughing stock of the UK on the international stage.
MPs who continue to defend these deals no longer have a leg to stand on as the truth has been given to Parliament 'from the horse's mouth'.
The new Westminster regime should now ensure that any future deals with other countries and trading blocs take a far more robust approach that protects UK farmers and food security - not undermines them.
Vulnerability to the further undermining of UK food security has been made clear by Russia's war on Ukraine, and the UK needs to reset its approach to international trade, as called for in the FUW's July 2022 five point plan.