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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/feb/07/nicola-sturgeon-accuses-uk-ministers-of-power-grab-over-farm-subsidies
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| Nicola Sturgeon accuses UK ministers of power grab over farm subsidies | Nicola Sturgeon accuses UK ministers of power grab over farm subsidies |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Nicola Sturgeon has accused pro-Brexit ministers in London of “grabbing power” from Scotland by refusing to honour referendum pledges to protect the country’s farmers. | Nicola Sturgeon has accused pro-Brexit ministers in London of “grabbing power” from Scotland by refusing to honour referendum pledges to protect the country’s farmers. |
| The first minister said there was mounting anxiety that Andrea Leadsom, the environment and agriculture secretary, wanted to impose a UK-wide agriculture policy and seize control over about £500m in Scottish farm subsidies. | The first minister said there was mounting anxiety that Andrea Leadsom, the environment and agriculture secretary, wanted to impose a UK-wide agriculture policy and seize control over about £500m in Scottish farm subsidies. |
| Sturgeon told the National Farmers Union of Scotland’s annual conference in Glasgow this would undermine the clear legal position set out in successive acts of parliament that Holyrood was in charge of setting distinctive agricultural policy and overseeing funding in Scotland. | Sturgeon told the National Farmers Union of Scotland’s annual conference in Glasgow this would undermine the clear legal position set out in successive acts of parliament that Holyrood was in charge of setting distinctive agricultural policy and overseeing funding in Scotland. |
| With Scottish farmers receiving about 16% of the UK’s EU agricultural subsidies, and heavily reliant on that funding for their survival, Sturgeon described quitting the EU as “the biggest challenge to farming perhaps for a generation”. | With Scottish farmers receiving about 16% of the UK’s EU agricultural subsidies, and heavily reliant on that funding for their survival, Sturgeon described quitting the EU as “the biggest challenge to farming perhaps for a generation”. |
| “There should be no question that responsibility for agricultural policy remains with the Scottish parliament,” she said. “Anything else would not be grabbing power from Europe, it would be grabbing power from the Scottish parliament and that would be unacceptable.” | “There should be no question that responsibility for agricultural policy remains with the Scottish parliament,” she said. “Anything else would not be grabbing power from Europe, it would be grabbing power from the Scottish parliament and that would be unacceptable.” |
| She said the Scottish government believed agricultural regulations would need to be agreed at UK level after Brexit, but she said this should happen by consent and negotiation. “These should not be imposed by having power sucked away to the centre in Westminster.” | She said the Scottish government believed agricultural regulations would need to be agreed at UK level after Brexit, but she said this should happen by consent and negotiation. “These should not be imposed by having power sucked away to the centre in Westminster.” |
| Sturgeon told reporters after her speech that the Welsh devolved government was also “extremely exercised” about this issue. | Sturgeon told reporters after her speech that the Welsh devolved government was also “extremely exercised” about this issue. |
| Scotland’s rural economy secretary, Fergus Ewing, was furious after Leadsom cancelled a meeting with the devolved governments to discuss agricultural and fisheries policy last month. She has not yet organised a new meeting. | Scotland’s rural economy secretary, Fergus Ewing, was furious after Leadsom cancelled a meeting with the devolved governments to discuss agricultural and fisheries policy last month. She has not yet organised a new meeting. |
| At the NFU conference, Ewing said pro-Brexit Tory ministers had promised Scottish voters that current subsidy levels would be protected if the UK quit the EU. | At the NFU conference, Ewing said pro-Brexit Tory ministers had promised Scottish voters that current subsidy levels would be protected if the UK quit the EU. |
| He said the “fundamental and pressing question of the hour” for Scottish farmers was the total level of financial support for farmers after Brexit. | He said the “fundamental and pressing question of the hour” for Scottish farmers was the total level of financial support for farmers after Brexit. |
| He cited pledges from George Eustice, the UK fisheries minister, during the referendum campaign that EU agricultural funding of £3bn would be “at least matched”. | He cited pledges from George Eustice, the UK fisheries minister, during the referendum campaign that EU agricultural funding of £3bn would be “at least matched”. |
| “I fully expect the UK government of which he is a member to implement that pledge,” Ewing told the conference. | “I fully expect the UK government of which he is a member to implement that pledge,” Ewing told the conference. |
| MSPs are due to vote later on Tuesday on a symbolic motion rejecting the UK government’s expected decision to trigger article 50 and begin the Brexit process. Labour, the Lib Dems and the Scottish Green party are likely to back the SNP motion. | MSPs are due to vote later on Tuesday on a symbolic motion rejecting the UK government’s expected decision to trigger article 50 and begin the Brexit process. Labour, the Lib Dems and the Scottish Green party are likely to back the SNP motion. |
| There was initially unease among Labour MSPs about supporting the motion because Sturgeon has repeatedly linked disputes over the shape of a Brexit deal with an increased chance of a snap second referendum on independence. | There was initially unease among Labour MSPs about supporting the motion because Sturgeon has repeatedly linked disputes over the shape of a Brexit deal with an increased chance of a snap second referendum on independence. |
| Those concerns eased after Sturgeon dropped her plans to put down a more formal legislative consent motion opposing article 50 because a supreme court ruling last month said Holyrood did not have the legal authority to reject it. | Those concerns eased after Sturgeon dropped her plans to put down a more formal legislative consent motion opposing article 50 because a supreme court ruling last month said Holyrood did not have the legal authority to reject it. |
| In the event, three Labour MSPs voted alongside the Tories against the Scottish government motion, effectively adopting Corbyn’s formal position at Westminster that Labour should not obstruct or thwart the triggering of article 50. | |
| The three were Elaine Smith, the only Labour MSP known to have voted in favour of Brexit in June, and Neil Findlay and Richard Leonard, who are openly aligned with Corbyn. That gave the amended Scottish government motion, which said the UK government had failed to properly consult the devolved administrations, a comfortable majority of 90 votes to 34. | |
| A Defra spokeswoman said the Treasury had already guaranteed funding for farmers at EU levels until 2020 – the year the current common agriculture policy for other EU members ends. She said the Leadsom meeting was cancelled because not all devolved ministers were able to attend on the date arranged. | |
| She said Defra knew that Scottish farmers played a significant part in the economy, generating more than £1bn, and provided jobs and food. “We are determined to get the best deal possible, not least for our hard-working farmers. The Scottish government and the views of Scottish farmers will play an important part in helping shape our discussions around our exit from the EU.” |