SNP slams UK Government for 'snubbing' invite to discuss rural issues - but can it talk?

Environment secretary Thérèse Coffey came under fire this week after she dodged three letters inviting her to give evidence to Holyrood’s rural affairs committee.

She has been called on to discuss reserved matters impacting Scotland’s rural economy, which the SNP say the UK Government has the final say over, including post 2025 agricultural funding.

Perth MSP Jim Fairlie described the multiple invite rejections from Ms Coffey as “snubbing” Scotland’s rural communities.

The Tory secretary for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) was first invited to speak to MSPs on the committee in November last year, but did not respond. A follow-up invite was sent in March.

SNP has accused the UK Government's environment secretary for "snubbing" Scotland's rural sector after rejecting invites to give evidence at Holyrood (pic: Sandra Angers Blondin)

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Ms Coffey then finally rejected the invite in April, saying: “Given that a significant amount of Defra policy areas are devolved, in addition to understandable diary constraints, I must therefore politely decline on this occasion.”

A further invite was sent on June 8.

Mr Fairlie said the snubbing was a symptom of the “increasing contempt Westminster is showing the Scottish Parliament”. It comes after Scottish secretary Alister Jack refused to give evidence to Parliament about why he blocked Scottish gender recognition reforms.

And Kemi Badenoch, the UK Government’s equalities minister, also turned down an invite to Holyrood.

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But back to the SNP’s comments on Scotland’s rural industries “being woefully let down”.

Rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon has previously said further detail on the financing of the future farming subsidies scheme is “entirely dependent on the UK Government”.

Mr Jack has since dismissed Ms Gougeon’s comments and pointed to the record block funding given to the Scottish Government to address devolved matters, which includes agriculture.

“It’s up to the Scottish Government how they then allocate those funds,” he said. “They need to decide with their envelope – are they giving more or less to farming after 2024?”

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The National Farmers Union Scotland said because agriculture is devolved, it is ultimately for the Scottish Government to set farm funding in Scotland.

The union also said non-Barnett funding, including UK Government funding for agricultural support, is usually ringfenced, and the UK Government has committed to maintaining the funding available to farmers and land managers in every year of this Parliament – equating to some £620 million for 2023/24 for Scotland.

While there is smoke and mirrors around future funding from both governments, let’s not forget just last month when Scottish ministers were accused of delivering a “kick in the teeth” to rural communities by opting to debate Scottish independence over the coming Agriculture Bill. The legislation was due to be debated in the final week of the parliamentary tern, and farmers have been desperately waiting to hear more on after the consultation closed last year.