Scotland in danger of being sidelined by SNP on CAP reform

Written by George Lyon and published in the Scottish Farmer on Fri 27th Nov 2009

The latest QMS farm profitability survey makes pretty sober reading.

Despite much better cattle and sheep prices, only 21% of suckler herds and 20% of hill sheep farmers managed to break even.

I know from our own end of year accounts that despite the better lamb and cattle prices the big rise in fertiliser feeding and fuel meant we were no better off.

This demonstrates once again how vital LFA and SFP payments are to the very survival of livestock farming in Scotland.

Against that background it is of grave concern that a leaked EU Commission draft budget proposed swingeing cuts in CAP spending to fund other priorities, increased modulation and a move to co-financing of the CAP by Member States.

The intentional leaking of the draft budget is of course the first salvo in the big battle that lies ahead on the future of the CAP post 2013.

That battle will be between those interest groups who want to see farm payments cut, the green lobby who want the money redirected to help the environment and tackle climate change, and Member States who want to see a fairer share of the cash.

With the Lisbon Treaty agreed it means that I and my fellow Scottish MEPs Struan Stevenson and Alyn Smith will have a real say on the final outcome.

However we cannot win a fair deal for Scotland's farmers on our own. We need the Scottish Government in there fighting Scotland's corner within the UK and in Europe if we are to succeed.

I was, therefore, shocked to read an article from our Agriculture Minister Richard Lochhead in the Scottish Farmer in which he confessed he is powerless. It is true that he has succeeded in getting himself frozen out of the UK's negotiations with Brussels and relegated to observer status at Fisheries and Agriculture Council meetings.

He claims he has no say, has no input and no ability to ensure Scotland's priorities are included in the UK negotiating position ahead of CAP reform.

How on earth could our Agriculture Minister let this happen to him?

Former Scottish Agriculture Ministers such as Tom Strathclyde, Sir Hector Munro, Jamie Lindsay and Ross Finnie never got themselves into such a hopeless position.

Even John Sewell after a kick up the backside from the late Donald Dewar got stuck in and won a big increase in HLCA monies for Scotland from a hostile Treasury.

They knew their duty was to put Scotland's farming interests ahead of their party interests, work the system quietly behind the scenes, playing the Scottish card and building alliances with our Celtic cousins in Wales and Northern Ireland who have common interests.

And, of course, they worked hard at building good personal relationships with UK Ministers which is vital in any negotiations.

They also knew they could up the anti by involving the Secretary of State for Scotland or the First Minister in the post devolution world.

If all else failed, the ultimate threat of going public usually saw them get their own way if it was vital for Scottish interests.

I worked with many of them both in my NFU days and in the Scottish Parliament and to a man they always succeeded in placing Scottish priorities at the heart of the UK negotiating position.

That was achieved regardless of the long standing Treasury view, and quite often the Chancellor of the day, that CAP spending should be cut.

I also saw at first hand in Brussels on many occasions Scottish Ministers negotiating directly with other European Ministers on behalf of the UK delegation.

Indeed, my colleague Ross Finnie did the rounds of other Member States many times to seek agreement ahead of the December Fisheries Council meeting to win support for the Scottish position.

One of his real successes was in the 2003 reform - winning powers for Scottish Ministers to decide on the implementation of SFP and Rural Development against opposition from down south to any loss of control over CAP.

That gave Scottish Ministers absolute control over framing policy in Scotland which was a huge advantage for Scottish farmers given the shambles of SFP implementation down south.

So the question is how on earth has Richard Lochhead managed to get himself in such a weak and powerless position when every Minister before him succeeded in wielding huge influence and power on behalf of Scottish farmers.

Could it be that he has succumbed to the temptation of putting his own party's interests in breaking up the UK ahead of the interests of Scottish farmers?

Sources tell me that Ministers barely speak to each other and very rarely meet. How on earth does that help advance Scottish farmers interest?

He is absolutely right to point out that Labour policies and their vision of the CAP are damaging to Scotland.

The solution to that problem is not to break up Britain but to throw this failed Government out of power.

Until then he should be in there working the system - building alliances with the Irish and Welsh to make sure that Labour vision does not become the UK negotiating position for the CAP reform.

Instead, this SNP government appear to be left standing on the sidelines - not because of the system of Government but by choice.

I have no problem the Minister arguing for the break up of the UK although I fundamentally disagree with his view. However, farmers around the Scotland will be outraged if they suspect he is willing to sacrifice their interests for party political advantage.