Farming not important says Treasury adviser

Treasury adviser Tim Leunig has said that Britain could do without its fishermen and farmers: Farming and fisheries are not important

Whilst he was expressing a personal view, this will reinforce a fear already held by farmers that the Government will give a low priority to their welfare in trade talks.

The NFU does tend to overplay food security arguments, given that there is a variety of suppliers, but a country with plenty of agricultural land would look odd if it did not grow some of its own food.