UKPOL.CO.UK

Category: Speeches

  • Patricia Gibson – 2023 Speech on Removing VAT from Sunscreen Products

    Patricia Gibson – 2023 Speech on Removing VAT from Sunscreen Products

    The speech made by Patricia Gibson, the SNP MP for North Ayrshire and Arran, in Westminster Hall, the House of Commons, on 9 February 2023.

    It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Sharma. I am delighted to participate in the debate and I pay tribute to my esteemed colleague, my hon. Friend the Member for East Dunbartonshire (Amy Callaghan), for her pursuit of this important matter and for her excellent, comprehensive and very powerful opening speech.

    My hon. Friend, along with the hon. Member for Erewash (Maggie Throup), came to Westminster Hall today to speak as a survivor. That gives what they say power and authenticity. When survivors speak, it is incumbent on us all to listen to the lessons they are trying to teach us. Whether we are in government or not, what they say matters and must be listened to in that way.

    It seems odd to most people that suncream is not already classified as an essential healthcare item in the UK and, as such, is not exempt from VAT. After all, we know and have heard today in some detail that suncream plays a vital role in preventing serious health conditions such as skin cancer. In all honesty, I am not aware of anybody who wears suncream for cosmetic purposes; they wear it because the consequences of exposing themselves to the sun without sunscreen are extremely serious and potentially fatal. That is because it provides protection against harmful ultraviolet radiation. Importantly, it is strictly regulated to ensure that it provides sufficient ultraviolet protection for consumers, so there is no sense or logic in classifying it as a cosmetic product.

    As we have heard, that is recognised in the US, where sunscreen is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, and in Canada, where it is classified as a non-prescription drug, so there is international precedent for reclassifying the product as a healthcare item. The hon. Member for Strangford reminded us of those international examples and precedents for the change that everybody in the Chamber seeks.

    The debate matters, and it is even more important when we consider that skin cancer is now much more common across the UK, where around 16,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed each year. Of the 16,000 people who are diagnosed, about 2,300 will die. Cancer Research UK concludes that being sunburnt just once every two years can triple the risk of melanoma, and statistics show that more than one in four skin cancer cases are diagnosed in people under 50. When we consider the cost of treating the growing numbers of people diagnosed with skin cancer, removing VAT from suncream should be considered as important preventive spend. I suspect that the Minister will tell us about the pressure on the public finances and the significant contribution that VAT makes to the public finances, but, like others in the debate, I find it unbelievable that simply removing VAT from sunscreen—that one act on its own—would create insurmountable fiscal challenges for the Treasury. It would make sunscreen more affordable, and that can only be positive when we think about the quest to reduce skin cancer cases and pressure on our NHS.

    Some retailers, such as Tesco, have decided to absorb the cost of VAT on sunscreen, so that at the point of sale the consumer is spared that cost. It is worth noting that when Tesco made that announcement, in May 2021, consumers were outraged to discover that sunscreen was subject to VAT. There is a lesson in that outrage for all of us and for the Government: we are working in a situation in which the public believe one thing when the reality is entirely different. Of course, the public are using logic, which we all want the Government to use. The work that Tesco and other retailers have done is to be applauded, but it is a pity that the Government will not and have not taken the lead on the issue and shown that they understand the importance of making that important health product VAT-free.

    Tesco made the decision to absorb the cost of VAT on its sunscreen products because, after it did some research, it discovered that 57% of adults think sunscreen is too expensive, 29% say that they would wear it daily if it was a little bit cheaper and 31% of parents—this is important in terms of the stats for melanoma—state that they cannot always afford to apply sunscreen to the whole family. That means that this is not really a debate about sunscreen; it is a debate about public health. It is hugely disappointing that the Government are content to leave this important public health concern to the discretion of retailers, who have taken a lead on the issue. It is important that retailers have done so when the Government have not acted, because we know how financially challenged households are at this time.

    I do not want to second-guess what the Minister will say, but I suspect that she will say that high factor sunscreen is available on the NHS on prescription for certain conditions, and therefore is provided VAT-free when dispensed by a pharmacist. That point has been made to me in the past. As my hon. Friend the Member for East Dunbartonshire said, that does not really help someone in Scotland; to be honest, it does not really help all the people who do not get it on prescription but who would benefit enormously from using it.

    Removing VAT from sunscreen for everybody will help make the product just a little cheaper during these difficult times. More people would be able to stretch to affording it and would get the protection they need, and it would thereby help to prevent some of the 16,000 diagnoses a year of melanoma. We all urge the Minister to rethink. This is not a debate about the wider principle of VAT—we understand that VAT is levied on certain products. It is about VAT on sunscreen. When I have asked about the issue in the past, I have been told, in great detail, why VAT matters. VAT does matter, but the Treasury is well able to forgo VAT on this particular product, for the sake of public health.

    The levy on this particular product has to end. As my hon. Friend the Member for East Dunbartonshire said, that would logically go alongside a public health campaign on the importance of wearing sunscreen. Such measures would ultimately take pressure off our NHS. I urge the Minister to ensure that sunscreen is no longer categorised as a cosmetic item—that is just daft; it is ludicrous. We need to call it what it is. Sunscreen is an important weapon in our armoury for tackling melanoma.

  • Matt Rodda – 2023 Speech on Removing VAT from Sunscreen Products

    Matt Rodda – 2023 Speech on Removing VAT from Sunscreen Products

    The speech made by Matt Rodda, the Labour MP for Reading East, in Westminster Hall, the House of Commons on 9 February 2023.

    It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Sharma. I congratulate the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire (Amy Callaghan) on her excellent work in securing this debate and on her powerful speech. I also commend colleagues from all parties in the House for their speeches.

    I want to make three brief points, first about the obvious importance of sun protection, secondly about the context of the cost of living crisis, and thirdly about the importance of investment in public health.

    First, on sun protection, we have heard a persuasive argument today about the importance of protecting ourselves from skin cancer. Quite clearly, it is a threat that can be managed and that we can protect ourselves from, and the hon. Member is absolutely right to point that out. However, those 2,000 preventable deaths surely prompts a question for the Government: what is the state of their current public health work on this important matter? I hope that the Minister will be able to answer that in detail when she responds.

    I also urge colleagues from all parties in the House to consider the context for families—who will perhaps have started thinking at this time about booking a summer holiday, or going away for a weekend or to the seaside at Easter—because we are living through the most serious and sustained cost of living crisis for 40 years. When families go to purchase everyday goods, they will see cost increases of around 20% for those goods in the supermarket, and there is a real issue with additional items possibly not being bought as a result. We need to understand that that is a huge risk. There have been many reports in the media of families paring back other products and services because they are under such severe pressure. I hope the Minister will consider that context and see the obvious additional importance of wise public health advice and any measures that are deemed necessary.

    When we consider the cost of the summer as a whole for families, particularly those with two or even three children, which involves buying hats, sunglasses, loose-fitting clothing—as we heard earlier—and sunscreen, there are quite obviously considerable extra costs for the many families who are thinking about a summer holiday, either in the UK or abroad. Obviously, sunscreen is part of that cost, so the point that the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire made about the cost of sunscreen is an important one.

    Finally, I turn to the need for more investment in public health. It is noticeable that in this country we have a very strong tradition of public information campaigns, which have actually been very successful over the years. Some of us will remember campaigns such as Clunk Click, or other campaigns to try to prevent smoking or many other health risks. What are the Government prepared to do to try to prevent the risk of melanoma, perhaps through better advice, through the media and by directing Government information in a more effective way?

    There is also a wider point about working with the health service and other public health professionals. It is a tragedy that since 2010, and certainly for the period immediately before the pandemic, there was a cut in Government spending on public health. In my opinion that is a tragedy, and sadly many important health priorities were allowed to drift in that time, including action to tackle smoking, and there may well be other important measures that were not supported, possibly including the battle against melanoma.

    I am conscious of time, so to conclude, this is an important health issue, and the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire has made an interesting point. This debate is also timely, given that this is the time of year when many families are booking holidays and considering what to do in the summer, and at Easter and in other holiday periods approaching in the spring. I look forward to hearing the Minister’s response, and I hope she will address a number of the points made today.

  • Jim Shannon – 2023 Speech on Removing VAT from Sunscreen Products

    Jim Shannon – 2023 Speech on Removing VAT from Sunscreen Products

    The speech made by Jim Shannon, the DUP MP for Strangford, in the House of Commons on 9 February 2023.

    It is pleasure to be called to speak in this debate and to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Sharma. I thank the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire (Amy Callaghan) for bringing the issue forward. She and I have been friends for a long time in this House, and I am really pleased to see her in her role here. We share APPG roles and I deputise for her—not very well; she does it much better than I do. What a pleasure it is to be here.

    I want to add a Northern Ireland perspective to this debate, as I always do. I fully support the hon. Lady’s request to reduce VAT on sunscreen products. Melanoma is a growing health problem in Northern Ireland. My office has six staff members, and three of them—50%—told me that they have immediate family members who had melanoma. One of the younger girls, who is in her early 20s, admitted that she used sunbeds until her father had third-stage melanoma. This is not a disease of the tropics. Perhaps because of our skin and where we are from, we take the sun a wee bit more aggressively than they do in the Mediterranean, for instance. We usually go boiled red to start with, and then when the pain is too much we move to the sunscreen, which we should have done at the very beginning.

    It has been found that 86% of cases of melanoma can be prevented by adopting simple sun protection measures, including wearing factor 30-plus sunscreen. That is a very small thing to do, but the hon. Members for East Dunbartonshire and for Erewash (Maggie Throup) and I are asking the Government to do something to incentivise that. We are not asking for a lot; we are just asking for a wee nudge in the right direction. The United States of America and Australia have already done that.

    The incidence is increasing, and there are now more than 16,000 new cases of melanoma skin cancer each year in the UK. The problem is growing, and therefore the need is greater than it ever was. Of course, that does not take into account repeat diagnoses of melanoma—the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire said that she got it twice.

    In the 15-to-44 age group, melanoma skin cancer is the second most common cancer in males and the third most common in females. I find it difficult to comprehend why that is the case when all those people were taught the dangers of the sun in school. We were told to be careful when we go out—mum and dad told us that as well, but more often than not we ignored it.

    Amy Callaghan

    Does the hon. Gentleman agree that, despite people believing they do not need to wear sunscreen in Scotland, Northern Ireland and other places across the UK, it is essential that they do? They are more likely to contract melanoma if they are pale and fair haired, or have red hair, which is common in our isles.

    Jim Shannon

    In my case, with no hair.

    Amy Callaghan

    You’ve got a wee bit.

    Jim Shannon

    I’ve got a wee bit round the sides. I used to have a whole lot of hair. The hon. Lady makes a fantastic point, and it is true: we are of a fair skin, and that right away puts us in the target area.

    We have the information, but for some reason the message just is not getting across. One in 36 males and one in 47 females will be diagnosed with the deadliest form of skin cancer in their lives, so we need to stop seeing sunscreen as a luxury, like a nice moisturiser. We should instead see it as an essential, like good nutrition or drinking water. If it is put in that category, the seriousness of what we are trying to achieve will be clear.

    One way of getting the message across is to make it cheaper to purchase sunscreen. My speechwriter—a very busy girl—loves her holidays abroad. I think it is because it means she does not have to answer my calls for two weeks. She has no speeches to prepare, and of course she has no internet access due to overseas roaming charges. She never buys sunscreen before she goes because it is half the price in Florida—that is where they go for their holiday every year. She waits until she gets to Florida and buys enough to bring home and do the whole year back here, because the savings are significant. Hon. Members might say that is an Ulsterman or Ulsterwoman thing, but we do look for a bargain. If it is a bargain that helps our skin and protects us, that is why we do it.

    In the US, sunscreen products have been exempt from VAT-style taxes since 2012. In Australia, they are exempt provided they are principally marketed for use as a sunscreen and have an SPF rating of 15 or more. The reason for that is that in Australia and America, sunscreen is seen as an essential daily living product. That is how they categorise it. Some of us have been conditioned to see it as a holiday item, but they see it as something they need to have all the time. Many people who have never gone abroad have melanoma. It is not a holiday problem; it is a lifetime problem.

    Public polling indicates that many people find the cost of sunscreen too high, and with the current cost of living crisis deepening, that cost is likely to deter increasing numbers of people from buying sunscreen. The major retailers Tesco and Asda have recognised cost as a prohibitive barrier for people buying sunscreen, and Tesco reduced the price of its own-brand sunscreen by 20% in 2021 to offset VAT. In a consumer poll—such polls are good barometers of what people are thinking—some 57% of respondents said that the product was too expensive, and 29% claimed that they would wear it daily if it were a little bit cheaper. Incentivise it, make it happen and address the issue.

    The call for VAT to be removed from sunscreen was part of a sun safety campaign in 2013. That is why I support removing VAT from sunscreens that are factor 30 or more: as Melanoma Focus has said, doing so will make sunscreen more affordable and send a powerful message from the Government about the importance of skin protection. We only have one chance for our skin: it will last us our lifetime, but if we have constant cases of melanoma, then unfortunately it might not last us for the right time. I further support the recommendation that that measure be coupled with a Government-backed cross-media awareness campaign akin to the Australian Government’s successful Slip, Slop, Slap campaign, which the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire referred to. It reminds me of one of those catchy 1960s tunes from when I was a wee boy—I am aging myself by saying that —but a campaign is significant.

    With increasing temperatures in the United Kingdom from climate change, such a measure is becoming increasingly urgent. The hon. Member deserves great gratitude for bringing this debate forward, because—as others have said, and as those who follow my speech will say as well—this is an urgent subject. Removing VAT from sunscreen would not have been possible under EU rules, but it is now; there is nothing to restrict us, except those of us who live in Northern Ireland. I hate to say it, but in every debate I have, I have to temper everything with the Northern Ireland protocol. In Northern Ireland, we would not be able to take advantage of leaving the EU in this way, due to the protocol. However, that is a different issue for another day.

    Melanoma Focus believes that if this policy were implemented, the reduction in VAT revenue would be offset by reduced melanoma skin cancer cases and therefore reduced costs to the NHS. That is a crucial factor: if we take action to ensure that people can protect themselves more by being able to buy sunscreen that wee bit cheaper, we can ensure that those people do not need ongoing healthcare, with its associated costs. That seems logical to me.

    Amy Callaghan

    The hon. Gentleman is making a great speech, and I welcome his support for VAT Burn. On his point about the EU, there are little to no advantages of Scotland being outwith the EU, but while we are tied to this place and also outwith the EU, we can reform the VAT on products such as sunscreen. We will take that tiny little benefit that we can, and we appreciate it.

    Jim Shannon

    I thank the hon. Lady for her intervention. We certainly encourage the Government to take advantage of opportunities to promote better health as a result of leaving the EU.

    The “Getting It Right First Time” NHS review of dermatology highlights high and increasing demand for skin cancer treatment, with 200,000 surgical operations for suspected skin cancer carried out every year, and skin cancer rates doubling every 14 to 15 years. That is the main factor driving the request being made today. When it comes to health, those are the stark figures, and I believe they highlight the need for additional workforce to meet current and future pressures, and also suggest that we need to raise sun and skin awareness to reduce pressures on dermatology services.

    In conclusion, I support the call to remove VAT from sunscreen. I say to the Minister, who knows that I respect her greatly, that we make that call today because we believe it is worth supporting. The Government have taken other steps when it comes to VAT—the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire referred to sanitary products. Removing VAT from those products was something that the Government should have done; they did so, and I welcome that. Today, we make another request.

    It is not just a matter of listening; it is also about taking action to protect our people and our NHS, and the future of its services. Here is a figure for everyone— 85% of cancer is preventable. This is preventable, if we take some steps in the right direction. Let us take the steps in this place to prevent it right across all of this great nation, this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

  • Maggie Throup – 2023 Speech on Removing VAT from Sunscreen Products

    Maggie Throup – 2023 Speech on Removing VAT from Sunscreen Products

    The speech made by Maggie Throup, the Conservative MP for Erewash, in the House of Commons on 9 February 2023.

    “It won’t happen to me”—that is what we all think. But then it does. It happened to me. Back in 2019, I noticed a blemish on my left arm. Knowing that both my parents had benign skin cancer, I decided to get it checked out. After a biopsy, my blemish was diagnosed as melanoma and I underwent surgery to remove the cancer. I was one of the lucky ones. The melanoma had not spread. I was not ill. I was discharged from the cancer specialist in 2020, free from melanoma. While I am left with an impressive scar on my left arm, the outcome could have been so different had I not been aware of the signs to look for and caught the cancer early.

    One in 36 men and one in 47 women in the UK will be diagnosed with melanoma in their lifetime. Tragically, 2,300 people die from the disease each year. That number has included a business acquaintance of mine, who very sadly passed away in his early 40s, and BBC Radio Derby presenter Colin Bloomfield, who passed away at the age of just 33 in April 2015 after his melanoma metastasised to his lungs.

    These deaths do not need to happen—86% of melanomas are preventable by adopting simple sun protection. That is why I back the call for sun protection of SPF 30 and above to be available VAT-free. I congratulate the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire (Amy Callaghan) on securing today’s debate and on all the work she has done on this issue.

    The Government can do a lot, but they cannot stop people going out in the sun; they can do a lot, but they cannot change the weather. But they can remove VAT from sunscreen. We need to remove every possible barrier that could stand in the way of people buying a life-saving product. At the same time, such a measure sends out the message that the Government are serious about tackling all types of cancer. From an economic perspective, a healthy workforce is a productive workforce. The cost to the NHS of not taking action against a preventable cancer must be huge. We need to break down the silos in the NHS, between the NHS and the Treasury, and between all Government Departments, and look at the cost of not removing VAT on such a product.

    As is often the case, each and every one of us needs to take some personal responsibility. They say that only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun. We should be taking the same preventive measures during the hot summer months here that we would if we were on holiday abroad. That includes seeking shade, wearing a hat and loose clothing, and keeping out of the sun when it is most prevalent. Through a combination of these actions, we will see a noticeable decline in cases of melanoma, which at the moment takes far too many lives, far too early, but the Government have a part to play as well.

  • Rishi Sunak – 2023 Speech at Munich Security Conference

    Rishi Sunak – 2023 Speech at Munich Security Conference

    The speech made by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, in Munich on 18 February 2023.

    The United Kingdom will always be on the side of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

    And the security of our European continent will always be our overriding priority.

    Now there’s no greater example of those commitments than our response to the war in Ukraine.

    Just this year we became the first country in the world to provide tanks to Ukraine – and the first to train pilots and marines.

    We gave £2.3 billion last year – and we will match or exceed that in 2023.

    Now other allies can tell a similar story – and our collective efforts are making a difference.

    But with every day that passes, Russian forces inflict yet more pain and suffering.

    Now the only way to change that is for Ukraine to win.

    So we need a military strategy for Ukraine to gain a decisive advantage on the battlefield to win the war, and a political strategy to win the peace.

    To win the war, Ukraine needs more artillery, armoured vehicles and air defence.

    So now is the moment to double down on our military support.

    When Putin started this war, he gambled that our resolve would falter.

    Even now, he is betting that we will lose our nerve.

    But we proved him wrong then.

    And we will prove him wrong now.

    Together we’re delivering as much equipment in the next few months as in the whole of 2022.

    And together we must help Ukraine to shield its cities from Russian bombs and Iranian drones.

    And that’s why the UK will be the first country to provide Ukraine with longer-range weapons.

    And it’s why we’re working with our allies to give Ukraine the most advanced air defence systems, and build the air force they need to defend their nation.

    Now of course, the UK stands ready to help any country, provide planes that Ukraine can use today.

    But we must also train Ukrainian pilots to use the most advanced jets, and that’s exactly what Britain is doing…

    So that Ukraine has the capability to defend its security for the long term.

    But to win the peace we also need to rebuild the international order on which our collective security depends.

    First, that means upholding international law.

    The whole world must hold Russia to account.

    We must see justice through the ICC for their sickening war crimes committed, whether in Bucha, Irpin, Mariupol or beyond.

    And Russia must also be held to account for the terrible destruction it has inflicted.

    We are hosting the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London this June.

    And we should consider – together – how to ensure that Russia pays towards that reconstruction.

    Now second, the treaties and agreements of the post-Cold War era have failed Ukraine.

    So we need a new framework for its long-term security.

    From human rights to reckless nuclear threats, from Georgia to Moldova, Russia has committed violation after violation against countries outside the collective security of NATO.

    And the international community’s response has not been strong enough.

    As Jens Stoltenberg has said, “Ukraine will become a member of NATO.”

    But until that happens, we need to do more to bolster Ukraine’s long-term security.

    We must give them the advanced NATO-standard capabilities that they need for the future.

    And we must demonstrate that we’ll remain by their side, willing and able to help them defend their country again and again.

    Ukraine needs and deserves assurances of that support.

    So ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius we will bring together our friends and allies to begin building those long-term assurances.

    And our aim should be to forge a new charter in Vilnius to help protect Ukraine from future Russian aggression.

    Now let me conclude with one final thought.

    What’s at stake in this war is even greater than the security and sovereignty of one nation.

    It’s about the security and sovereignty of every nation.

    Because Russia’s invasion, its abhorrent war crimes and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric are symptomatic of a broader threat to everything we believe in.

    From the skies over North America to the suffering on the streets of Tehran, some would destabilise the order that has preserved peace and stability for 80 years.

    They must not prevail. And we need not be daunted.

    As President Zelenskyy said when he addressed the UK Parliament last week, we are marching towards the most important victory of our lifetime. It will be a victory over the very idea of war.

    And we could have no greater purpose than to prove him right.

  • Therese Coffey – 2023 Speech to the NASDA Conference in Virginia

    Therese Coffey – 2023 Speech to the NASDA Conference in Virginia

    The speech made by Therese Coffey, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in Virginia, the United States on 15 February 2023.

    Thank you, Ted, and thank you to NASDA for inviting me today.

    It is a particular privilege as I understand that this is the first time a foreign Secretary of State for Agriculture has been invited to address NASDA, and it comes at a particularly interesting time as we are still suffering the economic aftershock of Covid, global supply chains are still recovering, the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia has really impacted one of the most important agricultural countries in the world.

    I am very proud that our two countries continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine though this terrible ordeal, from supporting heroic efforts to get the harvest in amid the turmoil of war and share it with some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people, to working together through the G7 to identify stolen grain and frustrate Russia’s efforts to profit from theft.

    But all this to me reinforces the need to champion free trade. And I’ve spent the last few days in the great state of North Carolina. The UK is their biggest market for sweet potatoes – but it doesn’t stop there. They told me they wanted to get on with a free trade agreement and I hope we can resume our talks soon.

    I am no stranger to the USA and the food industry, as I used to work for Mars Incorporated – who produce human food and pet food (not in the same factory you will be pleased to know) – my understanding of the global food supply chain was certainly enhanced by working there.

    Even in a country as blessed and resourceful as the USA on food production, trade is essential. That cup of Joe in the morning or the candy bar pick-me-up cannot exist without the imports of the key ingredients.

    In the UK, we only have domestic self-sufficiency of about 60% and we want to maintain that at least, if not consider higher. We do know that we can see the pressures of the environment and changes in the seasons. We see that for ourselves alongside the global demand for products and the supply chain for such ingredients and farming techniques have to be ever more sustainable and agile to deal with the challenges ahead. We also have to see that alongside other pressures – particularly the food inflation which is really challenging families with the cost of living.

    We have also been on a journey since we left the European Union. We have undertaken two significant pieces of legislation for farming. In 2020 we passed our Agriculture Act which gave us freedoms on how to support our farming industry and reduce red tape. And most recently the Gene Editing, the Precision Breeding Bill – which should be in law very soon – will allow the latest technology to help food become more resilient, whether that be a new wheat crop resistant to climate change, or that can design out weaknesses to pests and ultimately reduce our need for quite so many pesticides, particularly those harmful to pollinators.

    Now we have some prominent research institutes in the UK that I fully expect to start to take advantage of these new freedoms because it is through science, innovation and technology that our farming industry will continue to be sustainable. It is so important in the UK that our Prime Minister has just created a brand new government department to give that leadership and focus to science innovation and technology.

    And that is why I started my trip to the USA by visiting agritech businesses in North Carolina. I particularly enjoyed the trip to the new world-class Plant Science Initiative facility at North Carolina State, ably led by Adrian Percy who was once a British academic. Of course I enjoyed some classic North Carolina hospitality, especially the grits, and I was pleased to promote some new entrants into the market, starting with some Brit expats blending the best of British and American at the Fortnight Brewery in Cary.

    Now while we missed seeing Commissioner Troxler in his home state – Sir, it was a pleasure to meet you last night and you have a very fine state and certainly the UK has embraced your sweet potatoes. I’m conscious that just by singling out North Carolina I may have alienated the 49 other states, but I know that you have fantastic produce as well.

    I want to recognise and commend the USA’s leadership – including NASDA’s leadership on trade, sustainability, and innovation. And I think that the US and the UK are in a perfect position to develop our partnership on this even further in the months and years ahead. We can and we will build on good foundations as we already see some pioneering technology at work.

    That could be the UK-based company developing drone software that is now being used by farmers in New York and Michigan States, promoting sustainable approaches to managing pests in their apple orchards, maximising their harvest, saving them time and money, improving the natural environment, and boosting their profitability as well. Frankly – what’s not to like?

    I know some of your colleagues from NASDA saw that technology working wonders on a field in Kent in the UK during your visit last fall and I hope that many more American and British businesses will be able to benefit from this sort of collaboration.

    Now our trade relationship is worth more than two hundred and fifty billion dollars overall. The US is already our largest single trading partner and our top investor – creating twenty-seven thousand UK jobs last financial year alone, with one and a half million people getting up and going to work for American companies in the UK, alongside the more than a million people who do similarly for British companies in the USA as well.

    So, let’s build on that together.

    My portfolio as Secretary of State is rare if not unique in the world’s largest economies as it covers both the environment and agriculture. Now at times there can be seen to be conflict between the two, but far from being mutually exclusive, I actually see that they can be symbiotic.

    I expect that you as agricultural commissioners and directors and secretaries would likely agree with me that our farmers are the original friends of the earth. Their custodianship, their stewardship, is absolutely vital to the wellbeing of our planet as is their regard for animal welfare, which I know you know is something UK consumers care about, as do your consumers too.

    While I represent a rural constituency known for its pigs, potatoes and parsnips, I am well supported by my farming minister Mark Spencer, who is still a practising farmer and whose family have worked the land for four generations. So coming from that background, in addition to the global pressures that are currently affecting prices, energy, and supply chains, I’m very aware that farm businesses are now facing a range of challenges from historic flooding and drought in a changing climate, to outbreaks of pests and diseases.

    So it is crucial we support our growers and their businesses to become more resilient to these impacts.

    And the UK – having left the European Union – we have seized the opportunity to shape our own agricultural policy for the first time in half a century. So I’d like to share our approach, for food for thought.

    Recognising farming is the backbone of our second largest manufacturing sector, the food processing sector, it brings jobs to every county and plays a vital role in rural communities.

    In England, 70% of the country is farmland. So farmers hold the key to making the most of our land for all the things we want to achieve, including not just food security, but also our plan to improve the state of nature.

    And our view is that making space for nature can and must go alongside sustainable food production – indeed, working with nature, not against it. And while rightly there is an ongoing role for pesticides, we think we should not be using them quite so liberally, especially when they impact on other pollinators.

    But that is why we are designing, developing, and deploying new and improved funding programmes with our farmers, not imposing on them. Because we want to make it as easy and attractive as possible for businesses of every shape and size to apply and get involved on the way forward.

    Our aim is to provide a menu of different actions that farmers can be paid to do, and for each business to choose what works best for them as part of their plan to improve the productivity, profitability, sustainability, and resilience of their business for the future.

    In practice a lot of this is not new. It is rediscovering the agricultural techniques of our forefathers and marrying them with the latest scientific innovation. For example, we all know that good soil and a steady supply of clean water are absolutely crucial for a healthy crop, as well as forming the building blocks of a resilient ecosystem. A healthy environment is inherently linked to food security.

    Indeed in nurturing and utilising more of our natural capital, for example through good soil husbandry, we can reduce input costs from increasingly costly chemical fertilisers, and boost the long-term resilience of our food system. What that means is that we’re using taxpayers’ hard earned money to reward our farmers for the work that they do that is not yet fully rewarded by the market.

    But that benefits us all, including taking on the global challenges of antimicrobial resistance and zoonotic diseases. Embedding the nature-based solutions like trees that provide effective, cost-effective solutions to so many challenges including absorbing carbon, and protecting homes, businesses, and indeed entire communities from the impacts of droughts and flooding.

    Working with all our farmers and growers to produce world class food while protecting the land they rely on. That is the outcome that we want to see.

    Ultimately we know that as we lose the abundance, diversity, and connectivity of flora and fauna, we risk overturning the delicate global web of life that underpins our food security. And we have made a commitment – in law – to report to our parliament on the state of our nation’s food security at least once every three years. So that we keep a close eye on the evolving picture as our climate and indeed global geopolitics continues to shift.

    Now I know that you are in the thick of Farm Bill preparation here in the US, encompassing jobs as well as innovation, infrastructure, research, trade, and conservation. So, I look forward to hearing more about that here at NASDA. I think that we agree, that where decades, even generations of hard-won experience have given us a strong sense of what already works, we need to recognise the importance of the solutions that farmers bring to the table, and not forever reinvent the wheel.

    In everything we do, we need to reflect the immense contribution farming makes to our communities, our respect for cherished ways of life – particularly rural life – and the sheer grit, ingenuity, and determination it takes to keep us fed, whether that be to get up at the crack of dawn every morning to milk the cows, or the day-in-day-out nurturing of crops.

    Technology has helped us with some of that of course. But the cows are never going to milk themselves. But we also know that farmers have always been a part of good animal welfare – and that they can and must be a part of improving that in the future as well.

    Don’t worry, I’m not going all vegan or vegetarian on you. Meat is certainly still very much on my dietary plate. Caring for animals with good levels of husbandry is the right thing to do – and the smart thing to do as well if we want to improve biosecurity, prevent diseases and stop them from spreading like wildfire, as we know they can. That has an impact not just in one state or one country, but indeed on trade exports around the world.

    We have experienced that in the UK, and it is why we’re just recovering in some areas like lamb. And we need to make sure we continue to have that biosecurity ever present.

    I think it is important to say that together, we are stronger, we are more resilient and that collaboration, those high standards that we share, build our trust in each other which, of course, helps us trade with each other.

    And while there may always be an element of risk with food security in this changing, evermore interconnected world, when unexpected challenges and shocks raise their head, we have always been there to help each other out – as the UK did last year, when a domestic producer was hit by a bacteria outbreak, a UK-based company was proud to step into the breach to make sure American families had access to vital baby formula, and it was the first foreign company to do so under an expedited process thanks to that trust in each other.

    So friends, I want to thank you again, for the honour of speaking today, for inviting me to see some of the pioneering work underway, by redoubling the deep and enduring bond between the British and American people that makes our relationship so special.

    Ted, I think you said earlier that NASDA wants to be the best partner in your relationships. Well I can tell you that the reception you put on for Valentine’s night, that speed dating, I can assure you, you have a willing future partner in me and certainly in the UK.

    By learning from each other and working together, we will have done right by each other, and critically we will have done right by every generation yet to come. Thank you ladies and gentlemen and God Bless America.

  • Jeremy Corbyn – 2023 Statement on Not Being Allowed to Stand as Labour Party Candidate at General Election

    Jeremy Corbyn – 2023 Statement on Not Being Allowed to Stand as Labour Party Candidate at General Election

    The statement made by Jeremy Corbyn, the Independent MP for Islington North, on social media on 15 February 2023.

    Ever since I was elected as a Labour MP 40 years ago, I have fought on behalf of my community for a more equal, caring and peaceful society. Day in day out, I am focused on the most important issues facing people in Islington North: poverty, rising rents, the healthcare crisis, the safety of refugees, and the fate of our planet.
    Keir Starmer’s statement about my future is a flagrant attack on the democratic rights of Islington North Labour Party members.

    It is up to them – not party leaders – to decide who their candidate should be. Any attempt to block my candidacy is a denial of due process, and should be opposed by anybody who believes in the value of democracy.

    At a time when the government is overseeing the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation, this is a divisive distraction from our overriding goal: to defeat the Conservative Party at the next General Election.

    I am proud to represent the labour movement in Parliament through my constituency. I am focused on standing up for workers on the picket line, the marginalised, and all those worried about their futures. That is what I’ll continue to do. I suggest the Labour Party does the same.

  • Nicola Sturgeon – 2023 Resignation Statement

    Nicola Sturgeon – 2023 Resignation Statement

    The statement made by Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland and the Leader of the SNP, on 15 February 2023.

    Being First Minister of Scotland is in my – admittedly biased – opinion the best job in the world.

    It is a privilege beyond measure – one that has sustained and inspired me, in good times and through the toughest hours of my toughest days.

    I am proud to stand here as the first female, and longest serving, incumbent of this great office.

    And I am proud of what has been achieved in the years I’ve been in Bute House.

    However, since my first moments in the job, I have believed that part of serving well would be to know – almost instinctively – when the time is right to make way for someone else.

    And when that time comes, to have the courage to do so – even if, to many across the country, and in my party, it might feel too soon.

    In my head and my heart I know that time is now;

    That it is right for me, for my party, and for the country;

    And so today, I am announcing my intention to step down as First Minister and leader of my party.

    I have asked the National Secretary of the SNP to begin the process of electing a new party leader, and I will remain in office until my successor is in place.

    I know there will be some across the country who feel upset by this decision, and by the fact I am taking it now.

    Of course, to balance that, there will others who – how should I put this – will cope with the news just fine!

    Such is the beauty of democracy.

    But to those who do feel shocked, disappointed, perhaps even a bit angry with me, please know that, while hard – and be in no doubt, this is really hard for me – my decision comes from a place of duty and of love.

    Tough love perhaps – but love nevertheless, for my party and above all for the country.

    Let me set out – as best I can – my reasons.

    First, though I know it will be tempting, unavoidable perhaps, to see it as such, this decision is not simply a reaction to short term pressures.

    Of course, there are difficult issues confronting the government just now. But when is that ever not the case.

    I have spent almost three decades in front line politics – a decade and a half on the top or second top rung of government.

    When it comes to navigating choppy waters, resolving seemingly intractable issues, or soldiering on when walking away would be the simpler option, I have plenty experience to draw on.

    So if this was just a question of my ability – or my resilience – to get through the latest period of pressure, I would not be standing here today.

    But it is not.

    This decision comes from a deeper and longer term assessment.

    I know it might seem sudden but I have been wrestling with it – albeit with oscillating levels of intensity – for some weeks.

    Essentially, I have been trying to answer two questions.

    Is carrying on right for me?

    And – more importantly – is me carrying on right for the country, for my party and for the independence cause I have devoted my life to?

    I understand why some will automatically answer ‘yes’ to that second question.

    But in truth, I’ve been having to work harder in recent times to convince myself that the answer to either of them – when examined deeply – is ‘yes’.

    And I’ve reached the conclusion that it’s not.

    The questions are inextricably linked but let me take them in turn.

    I’ve been First Minister for over 8 years; and I was Deputy First Minister for the best part of 8 years before that.

    As I said earlier, these jobs are a privilege.

    But they are also – rightly – hard.

    And, especially in the case of First Minister, relentlessly so.

    Now to be clear, I am not expecting violins – but the fact is, I am a human being as well as a politician.

    When I entered government in 2007, my niece and youngest nephew were babies, just months old.

    As I step down, they are about to celebrate their 17th birthdays.

    Exactly the age to be horrified at the thought of your devoted auntie suddenly having more time for you.

    My point is this.

    Giving absolutely everything of yourself to this job is the only way to do it. The country deserves nothing less.

    But in truth that can only be done, by anyone, for so long. For me, it is now in danger of becoming too long.

    A First Minister is never off duty.

    Particularly in this day and age, there is virtually no privacy.

    Ordinary stuff that most people take for granted, like going for a coffee with friends or even for a walk on your own becomes very difficult.

    And the nature and form of modern political discourse means there is a much greater intensity – dare I say it, brutality – to life as a politician than in years gone by.

    All in all – and for a long time without it being apparent – it takes its toll, on you and on those around you.

    And if that is true in the best of times, it has been more so in recent years.

    Leading this country through the Covid pandemic is, by far, the toughest thing I’ve done.

    It may well be the toughest thing I ever do. I certainly hope so.

    Now, by no stretch of the imagination – to be clear – was my job the hardest in the country during that time.

    But the weight of responsibility was immense.

    And it’s only very recently, I think, that I’ve started to comprehend, let alone process, the physical and mental impact of it.

    So, what I am saying is this.

    If the only question was, can I battle on for another few months, then the answer is yes. Of course I can.

    But if the question is can I give this job everything it demands and deserves for another year, let alone for the remainder of this parliamentary term – give it every ounce of energy that it needs, in the way that I have strived to do every day for the past 8 years – the answer, honestly, is different.

    And as that is my conclusion – hard though it has been for me to reach it – then given the nature and scale of the challenges the country faces, I have a duty to say so now.

    I feel that duty, first and foremost, to our country – to ensure that it does have the energy of leadership it needs, not just today, but through the years that remain of this parliamentary term.

    And, right now in a very particular sense, I feel that duty to my party too.

    We are at a critical moment.

    The blocking of a referendum as the accepted, constitutional route to independence is a democratic outrage.

    But it puts the onus on us to decide how Scottish democracy will be protected and to ensure that the will of the Scottish people prevails.

    My preference of using the next Westminster election as a de facto referendum is well known.

    I’ve never pretended it is perfect – no second best option ever is – nor that there are no alternatives.

    That is why I have always been clear that the decision must be taken by the SNP collectively, not by me alone.

    But I know my party well enough to understand that my view as leader would carry enormous, probably decisive, weight when our conference meets next month.

    And I cannot – in good conscience – ask the party to choose an option based on my judgment whilst not being convinced that I would be there as leader to see it through.

    By making my decision clear now, I free the SNP to choose the path it believes to be the right one, without worrying about what it means for perceptions of my leadership, and in the knowledge that someone else will lead, successfully, along whatever path is chosen.

    There are two further reflections that have weighed in my decision – these, I suppose, are more about our political culture and the nature and impact of the dominance and longevity that comes from success in politics.

    The first, I hope my party will take heart from.

    One of the difficulties of coming to terms with this decision is that I am confident I can and would lead the SNP to further electoral success.

    Even in a time of challenge, we remain by far the most trusted party in Scotland.

    And while for every person in Scotland who ‘loves’ me, there is another who might not be quite so enthusiastic, the fact is we remain firmly on course to win the next election – while our opponents remain adrift.

    But the longer any leader is in office, the more opinions about them become fixed and hard to change. And that matters.

    Individual polls come and go, but I am firmly of the view that there is now majority support for independence.

    But that support needs to be solidified – and it needs to grow further if our independent Scotland is to have the best possible foundation.

    To achieve that we must reach across the divide in Scottish politics.

    And my judgment now is that a new leader would be better able to to this.

    Someone about whom the mind of almost everyone in the country is not already made up, for better or worse.

    Someone who is not subject to quite the same polarised opinions, fair or unfair, as I now am.

    The good news – as the country will now get to see more clearly perhaps – is that the SNP is full of talented individuals more than up to that task.

    My second reflection is related – and I think there is ample evidence of this in our current debates.

    I feel more each day just now that the fixed opinions people increasingly have about me – as I say, some fair, others little more than caricature – are becoming a barrier to reasoned debate.

    Statements and decisions that should not be controversial become so when it’s me making or taking them.

    Issues that are controversial end up almost irrationally so – and for the same reason.

    Too often I see issues presented and as a result viewed – not on their own merits – but through the prism of what I think and what people think about me.

    It has always been my belief that no one individual should be dominant in any system for too long.

    But while it’s easy to hold that view in the abstract as a leader, it is harder to live by it.

    With this decision, I am trying to do so.

    Indeed, if all parties were to take this opportunity to try to to de-polarise public debate just a bit;

    To focus more on issues than on personalities;

    And to reset the tone and tenor of our discourse;

    Then this decision – right for me and, I believe for my party and the country – might also prove to be good for our politics.

    I live in hope.

    Now, a couple of final points before I take a few questions.

    While I am stepping down from leadership, I am not planning to leave politics. There are many issues I care deeply about and hope to champion in future.

    One of these is The Promise – the national mission, so close to my heart, to improve the life chances of care experienced young people and ensure that they grow up nurtured and loved.

    My commitment to these young people will be lifelong.

    And, obviously, there is independence.

    Winning independence is cause I have dedicated a lifetime to. It is a cause I believe in with every fibre of my being.

    And it is a cause I am convinced is being won.

    I intend to be there – as it is won – every step of the way.

    Yesterday I attended the funeral of a dear friend and long standing independence activist, a wonderful man by the name of Allan Angus.

    It was actually during that service that I went from being 99% certain about this decision to 100% certain – though I know Allan would not be at all happy to have played any part in my departure.

    But his funeral reminded me that the cause of independence is so much bigger than any one individual; that all of us who believe in it contribute in different ways, at different stages of our lives.

    Since I was 16, I have contributed as an activist, a campaigner and a leader.

    And so now, as we look to what I firmly believe is the final stage in Scotland’s journey to independence – albeit a hard one – I hope to use all the experience and perspective I have gathered over these years to help get us there.

    Lastly, there will be time in the days to come for me – and others – to reflect on what has been achieved during my time as First Minister. I am sure there will be plenty of commentary on my mistakes too.

    I will have more to say before I demit office, but allow me some brief reflections now.

    Scotland is a changed country since 2014 – and in so many ways it is changed for the better.

    Young people from deprived backgrounds have never had a better chance of going to university than now.

    Our investment to double early learning and childcare is transforming opportunities for the youngest children. It is also enabling more women to return to work.

    The baby box is enshrining our aspiration that every child should have an equal start in life.

    Scotland is fairer today than it was in 2014. We have a more progressive approach to taxation and a new social security system, with the Scottish Child Payment at its heart.

    As the Institute for Fiscal Studies confirmed last week, the poorest families with children in Scotland are now £2000 better off as a result of our policies.

    For many – in this cost of living crisis – that will be the difference between food on the table and a warm home, or not.

    There are stronger protections for victims of domestic abuse, and Parliament will soon consider legislation to improve access to justice for victims of rape and sexual offences.

    To be clear, I will be the strongest possible backbench advocate for these reforms.

    We have also shown over these past few years what can be done with the full powers of a nation – creating new institutions that are part of the transition to becoming independent.

    New tax and social security agencies, a network of trade hubs across the world, and a state owned investment bank ready to help the country reap the industrial benefits of our vast renewable resources.

    There is so much that I am proud of.

    But there is always so much more to be done. I look forward to watching with pride as my successor picks up the baton.

    There will also be time in the days to come for me to say thank you to a very long list of people, without whom I wouldn’t have lasted a single day in this job, let alone 8 years.

    I won’t do so today – I might inadvertently forget someone or, perhaps more likely, start to cry.

    But there are a couple of exceptions.

    Firstly, my husband and family. Few people understand the price families of politicians pay for the jobs we choose to do. Mine have been my rock throughout.

    And, of course, the SNP.

    Since I was 16 years old, you have been my extended family. Thank you for the honour of being your leader.

    And I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that 8 emphatic election victories in 8 years ain’t a bad record together.

    Finally – and above all – the people of this beautiful, talented, diverse, at times disputatious, but always wonderful country.

    We faced the toughest of times together.

    I did everything I could to guide us through that time, often from my very familiar podium in St Andrews House.

    And in return I was sustained through that period by a wave of support from you that I will remember and value for the rest of my life.

    So to the people of Scotland – to all of the people of Scotland – whether you voted for me or not – please know that being your First Minister has been the privilege of my life.

    Nothing – absolutely nothing – I do in future will ever come close.

    Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  • Keir Starmer – 2023 Comments on Anti-Semitism

    Keir Starmer – 2023 Comments on Anti-Semitism

    The comments made by Sir Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, on social media on 15 February 2023.

    Antisemitism is an evil and no political party that cultivates it deserves to hold power.

    I am proud to lead a party and a team that is working tirelessly to root it out.

    I will not rest until the job of changing the Labour Party and our country for the better is complete.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2023 Comments on the Resignation Announcement of Nicola Sturgeon

    Kirsten Oswald – 2023 Comments on the Resignation Announcement of Nicola Sturgeon

    The comments made by Kirsten Oswald, the SNP MP for East Renfrewshire, on Twitter on 15 February 2023.

    Nicola Sturgeon has been an outstanding leader for our country. We’ve been so fortunate to have someone with her talents at the helm. I am so sorry she is standing down.