A campaign group is seeking to overturn the Australia Free Trade Agreement saying it failed to asses the environmental impact
The founder of Save British Farming and co-organiser of the recent London tractor rally is appealing for farmers to once again head to London in a ‘show of unity' at against ‘exploitative trade deals'.
Liz Webster is calling on members of the industry to congregate outside the Royal Courts of Justice at 10am on Friday (March 7) in support of environmental group Feedback's campaign to have the trade deal with Australia overturned.
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The group is seeking a Judicial Review which would determine whether the UK government acted unlawfully by failing to conduct an environmental impact assessment of the trade deal, as required under international law. The deal, rushed through without proper parliamentary scrutiny, has been widely criticised for undermining British farmers, food standards, and animal welfare protections.
According to Ms Webster, the Labour Government is trying to derail this legal challenge with an appeal to remove the cost capping order which protect them from unaffordable adverse costs.
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"British farmers are the sacrificial lambs of this bad trade deal which was infamously signed over dinner with [former prime minister] Boris Johnson in a hurried process that ignored the long-term consequences for the environment and UK agriculture," Ms Webster said.
"This Judicial Review is a crucial test of whether the courts will uphold the law and protect the UK's high food, environmental, and animal welfare standards. The outcome could set a precedent for future trade agreements and environmental protections.
"We urge all concerned citizens, farmers, and campaigners to stand with us on March 7 to demand justice and ensure that the government is held accountable for its actions," she added.
