Time to have some standards - buy British

I GOT myself into trouble a few years ago when I suggested that New Zealand sheep farmers were able to keep their production costs down - and their meat consequently considerably cheaper than the British equivalent - by skimping on veterinary care.

- writes Adam Sherlock.

The New Zealand authorities were most upset by this statement - despite reliable reports from a number of British farmers who had visited the country that such corners were routinely cut.

‘And despite the fact that, equally, I had no direct experience of what was happening on remote farms some 12,000 miles away, I didn’t apologise then and I never have since.

But since concerns are growing about the quantities of Australian lamb arriving in this country thanks to the shoddy little import deal the Conservatives stitched up (despite warnings it would seriously harm the UK livestock sector) it is perhaps worth raising the issue of antipodean animal welfare standards again.