Five Tory MPs in East Anglia are among 44 nationwide to be targeted in a campaign to defend British standards in environmental and animal welfare, threatened by a recent government trade deal.
The European Movement claims that the recent deal with Australia threatens to undercut British farming and put farmers out of business. It will also lower food standards by letting in inferior quality produce like chlorinated chicken, as well as reducing the standards by which farm animals are kept, and further impoverish the natural environment.
The five East Anglian MPs targeted by the EM are Anthony Browne (South Cambridgeshire), Duncan Baker (North Norfolk), Jerome Mayhew (Broadland), Lucy Frazer (South East Cambridgeshire) and Richard Bacon (South Norfolk).
Other leading Tory figures targeted across the country include Dominic Raab, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Jeremy Hunt.
The aim is to raise money from the public to run a series of campaign advertisements in the MPs’ constituencies, spelling out the implications of the MPs’ votes and what they mean to the public. It is believed voters have not been properly informed of what the trade deal means, and will be horrified when they find out.
According to the Daily Mirror, one ad aimed at North Somerset MP Liam Fox reads: “Skinning lambs alive is cruel and shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the UK market. Tell your Tory MP Liam Fox to fight for animal welfare standards,” showing images of terrified animals.
The five East Anglian MPs targeted have all been criticised over their votes on sleaze, and sewage discharge. One has also been involved in data breaches, and four of them have already been the subject of reports by EAB. (The other is likely to appear shortly.)
All four were featured for incompetence and arrogance towards their constituents. In addition, EAB reported how Jerome Mayhew had been savaged by his constituents for voting in favour of dumping raw sewage into the Broads, and Richard Bacon for inadvertently organising a protest group against himself.
The chair of the European Movement is Lord Adonis, who said:
Voters deserve to know when their Tory MP is backing a bad deal that critically undermines traditional British values,” he says.
So, we are putting Tory MPs on notice: Stand up for what your constituents believe in or be sure that we will let them know you let them down.
“The British public is clear: Back British farmers, keep chlorine out of our food and stop slashing standards.”
