NAO report shows we should not rush to “lock in” huge policy changes post-Brexit says RSA

“Given the complexity of the changes we’re going to make post-Brexit, it’s hardly surprising the NAO reached this conclusion.

“To its credit, Defra is embarking on an ambitious vision for food and the environment post-Brexit, but it’s clear from our Commission’s UK tour that the government must give serious thought and engage with all parts of the food and farming system. This will inevitably take time.

“A no deal Brexit would be catastrophic for many farming businesses and the environment. The government needs sufficient time to think seriously through life after 40 years of the Common Agricultural Policy. 

"The real danger for all is rushing on the important details and locking the unintended consequences of bad policy into the system: it’s clear from our Commission that the UK public care very much about their food, where it comes from, and the countryside, and they have very high standards for its future post-Brexit."

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