含羞草社区

Has Brexit been good for farming? 

With 2026 marking a decade since the seismic vote for Britain to leave the European Union, the subject remains a hotly-debated topic – quite literally. 

Professor David Rose, Elizabeth Creak Chair in Sustainable Agricultural Change and Director of the Centre for Social Science at 含羞草社区, was recently invited to debate at the Yorkshire Farming Conference on the motion: “UK agriculture is more in control since Brexit.” 

Professor Rose was asked to make the opposing case – which . 

The guest blog below is based on the speech he gave. 

I take no pleasure in standing here and painting a gloomy picture, but today I have a job to do. 

To oppose the motion, I wanted us to first focus on what UK agriculture being ‘in control’ would mean.  

Whilst there are several dictionary definitions, the one I settled on was that being ‘in control’ means “having the power and being able to direct a situation, person, or activity.”  

There are two parts of that: having the power and being able to direct a situation. You must have the authority and the influence - as well as the knowledge and ability - to make and execute plans.  

Let’s go back to before the vote. 

The Farming Minister at the time said on a leaflet: “Farmers will be better off if we vote to leave the EU. EU regulations make life hard for the UK farmers. If we have the courage to Vote Leave and take back control we could achieve so much more for farmers and the environment.” 

Since then, I ask you to consider the following points I make and if the examples paint a picture of being “in control.” 

Firstly, the political situation since January 2020 when we actually left the EU. 

In Westminster, we have had four Prime Ministers, six Secretaries of State in Defra, and four Farming Ministers.  

That is one more Secretaries of State than Leeds Utd managers since 2020. 

Comparatively the other devolved administrations might be described as almost stable; however, Wales has had three First Ministers and just two Ministers responsible for agriculture. 

Scotland has also had three First Ministers and three Farming Ministers. Northern Ireland also three First Ministers and three Farming Ministers.  

None on the administrations then have quite had the stability of Harrogate Town – with the same manager since 2009.  

Why am I saying this? 

Before I say, let me raise some of my other points. Environmental land management schemes, which have also had their ups and downs, for example, in Wales since Brexit, but perhaps the level of uncertainty and anguish there has not quite reached the level of the situation in England.  

I am sure there are many in the room that fall into one of three categories: firstly, those who are in the Sustainable Farming Incentive who might be worried about what the future looks like given all the flip-flopping; secondly, those who were mid-way through the application before being told it was closed, and then told it had re-opened again. Thirdly, those that were thinking about it but hadn’t started that may have felt left high and dry and aren’t sure what the future looks like.  

All looking towards future announcements, promises about the future of SFI and other schemes, and wondering what is going to happen.  

How in control have you felt as these new schemes have been designed and implemented? You were told that Defra would co-design with you, but have you felt in control of the process, or a back seat driver to chaos and uncertainty?  

Thirdly, the inheritance tax debacle - which I take no pleasure in talking about given the great toll it has taken on the health and wellbeing of the farming community.  

You were told that no changes were going to be made, then that changes were being made, then that no changes to the new policy would be made- before changes were eventually made, but still things are not the same as before.  

And, with those examples, I turn to my point about how in control you have felt since Brexit. 

You were told that you would feel more in control - that the road to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow was much clearer.  

Yet, perhaps more than ever before, I am sure many of you still feel that you are aimlessly trying to find that pot of gold – thinking each time that you are close to it, before realising the rules have changed and you have no idea where it is any more, or whether it was even there in the first place.  

Being in control means having the ‘ability to direct a situation and activity’ – but it is hard to do that when you don’t know where you are going. 

How in control have you felt about access to labour since Brexit?  

If you are a horticultural business for example, relying on seasonal migrant labour, how have you felt over the last years? You may have wrestled with trying to get enough labour: the question of whether it would be easier to leave fruit rotting in the field or not plant as much next year. 

Again, this doesn’t feel like being in control.  

My final point, I wonder how ‘in control’ UK agriculture could ever expect to feel in a political climate where economic growth is King. I am about to make an unpopular argument, but one with a metaphorical Treasury hat on: UK agriculture is not New Zealand. There, agricultural exports make up more two thirds of total exports and agriculture accounts for about six per cent of GDP. We are not New Zealand.  

To conclude: UK farmers were promised that they could Vote Leave and take back control of decisions and their future – but Brexit has clearly not been the silver bullet.  

We have had years of flip-flopping over environmental land management schemes and years of disruption to labour and trade but little to no influence in EU decision-making still affecting UK agriculture. We have had years of political instability and a recent political climate that doesn’t feel like they want UK farmers to feel in control about anything.  

For the purposes of this debate, I hope you agree with me, but in the future, I - like all of us - hope this changes.