Chlorinated chicken entering UK ‘won’t happen’, says Farage

Nigel Farage has played down fears that chlorinated chicken could enter the UK market, telling farmers they “shouldn’t worry” about the prospect under a US trade deal.

Speaking exclusively to Farmers Weekly at a Reform UK local elections rally on Tuesday (10 March) in Basingstoke, Hampshire, the party leader acknowledged concerns about cheaper imports but insisted the issue had been overstated.

“We have been up against cheap rubbish, food imports forever.

“Yes, the Australian deal did worry British farming and maybe wasn’t negotiated very well. I get that. I understand,” he said.

See also: Farage vows to replace SFS and cut farm red tape

“The prospect of chlorinated chicken is way down the road. It’s not going to happen.

“The only trade deals with America we will get will be sectoral deals, probably on financial service as a manufactured product. I wouldn’t even worry.”

However, Mr Farage confirmed that a future Reform government would accept imports such as chlorinated chicken from the US if they were clearly labelled for consumers.

“If it’s labelled properly. Yes. You’ve got to label stuff properly,” he said.

His comments come as farmers continue to debate the impact of post-Brexit trade agreements.

This includes the UK’s deals with Australia and New Zealand, which have opened the market to increased beef and lamb imports.

But Mr Farage insisted British farmers should focus on promoting the quality of domestic food rather than blocking competition.

“British products are premium products produced under higher environmental standards to a better quality and taste,” he said.

“British agriculture is being undersold.”

Farmer frustration

Reform is seeking to capitalise on growing support among farmers frustrated with the main political parties.

A recent Farmers Weekly Sentiment Survey found backing for the party has risen to 40%, up from 15% a year ago.

Asked why Reform was gaining ground, Mr Farage said: “The fact I’m rated the most impressive perhaps says something about the quality of the others. I don’t think they’re very good.”

He said rural communities had been neglected since Brexit, arguing there had been no proper replacement policies for farming and fisheries.

And Mr Farage accused Labour of hostility towards rural communities.

He said: “We’ve got a Labour government who, frankly, hate the countryside and hate its people.”

Reform has pledged to increase UK food self-sufficiency to 70% and opposes solar panels on good farmland, which Mr Farage described as “abhorrent”.

He also criticised the role of investment firms such as BlackRock buying farmland and warned proposed inheritance tax changes affecting farms had created widespread anxiety.

“That has been catastrophic. I know it’s led to terrible fear among farmers,” Mr Farage said.

Rural crime ‘ignored’

Rural crime was another issue being ignored, Mr Farage argued.

“I think rural crime has been dropped, literally, to the bottom of the list,” he said.

“Here in Hampshire [it is] wreaking havoc in the countryside, in those villages, and yet no one seems to care about it.”

Before the rally, Mr Farage met around 10 local farmers who had arrived in tractors to show their support.

“They’re fighting for their future,” he said.

“The whole rural way of life, including farming, is massively under threat from an increasingly urbanised government.”

Responding to Mr Farage’s comments, Save British Farming founder Liz Webster said: “The chlorinated chicken dilemma is a Catch-22.

“Once Britain signs trade deals allowing lower-standard imports, WTO rules mean we cannot simply label our way to protecting British food.”