LibDem MP blasts minister over UK lamb ‘insult’
Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan has accused a Government minister of ‘insulting’ British farmers, after he championed the benefits of buying New Zealand lamb.
Conservative Minister of State for International Trade, Lord Johnson, praised Kiwi lamb saying it was better for the environment to eat chops from the other side of the world than to eat those from elsewhere in the UK.
Speaking during the reading of the Trade (Australia and New Zealand) Bill, Lord Johnson of Lainston said: “As my noble friend Lord Hannan pointed out, having a New Zealand lamb chop on your plate in the House of Lords restaurant is better for the environment than having one that comes from another part of the UK.”
His remarks followed comments by Lord Hannan of Kingsclere that pointed to ‘scientific studies’ that found eating a lamb chop from New Zealand in London had a lower carbon footprint than one produced in England or Wales. Lord Hannan said that this was down to the ‘efficient’ nature and economies of scale employed by New Zealand farmers which enabled them to be both ‘cheap and more environmentally friendly’.
Jane Thynne / Farmers Guardian
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