Globophobia | 24 July 2004

The UK Independence Party, according to the manifesto which won it 12 seats in the recent European Parliament elections, ‘is the only party to support free and fair trade for a free country’. The document goes on to assert that the EU is preventing us trading with the rest of the world and that the Common Agricultural Policy is needlessly adding to the cost of the food on consumers’ plates. This would all be very well if the Ukip manifesto didn’t go on to propose even more subsidy and protection for British farmers. ‘UK agriculture cannot compete with imported produce which enters the country at significantly lower prices …we would support negotiations to limit imports, not only from non-EU states but also from EU countries. To suit the needs of our own agriculture, we would wish to see levies and quotas to restrict imports which are damaging to our agricultural and consumer interests.’