Chesham and Amersham MP, Sarah Green, has called on the Government to increase its support for small exporters and farmers, while heavily criticising recent trade deals with Australia and New Zealand.
Speaking during a debate on the Australia and New Zealand Trade Bill on Monday, the Liberal Democrat MP highlighted the fall in UK exports since 2020, adding, “it’s no secret these deals are a disaster for British farming.”
Figures show there’s been a 15% decline in the number of UK exporters between 2020 and 2021, with a particularly sharp fall of 23% in the South-East of England.
The Government has also missed a number of other targets it set out following the signing of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, including cutting deals with India and the US.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Ms Green said: “When I surveyed small business owners in Chesham and Amersham earlier this year, I found that almost a quarter of those impacted were being forced to consider shutting up shop entirely.
“Recent changes to our trade landscape have made it particularly difficult for small exporters to stay in business.”
The Chesham and Amersham MP, who is also the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for International Trade, voiced her concerns while speaking in support of her party's amendment to the Trade Bill which would have required the Government to produce a report on its impact on small and medium-sized enterprises.
Such an amendment, they say, would allow the Government to monitor the extent to which the promised benefits of the Australia and New Zealand Free Trade Agreements translate into real business gains and intervene if they are not.
Sarah Green MP added: "Boosting trade is about not just creating opportunities, but ensuring that those opportunities are open and accessible to a range of businesses of all sizes."
[VIDEO: Watch Sarah Green's full comments]
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