Diane Abbott should stand and win as a Labour candidate at the General Election, according to Shadow Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard.
He told GB News: “She's clear to stand at the General Election. I'm a big fan of Diane, she is a trailblazer in our party and I expect her to stand and to win.
“All of that is, of course, subject to the National Executive Committee of Labour signing off all candidates, myself included, at a meeting tomorrow. I expect Diane to stand and I expect her to win.”
Asked about Brexit, he said: “It's certainly true that since the botched Brexit deal was put in place many of our businesses exporters of food fish agricultural products in particular have really struggled with the additional paperwork that's come from that botched deal.
“What's Labour's set out is our ambition to have a veterinary agreement with the EU. That's an agreement that New Zealand has with the EU that removes the paperwork on food and drink exports.
“Now, that would make a substantial difference to fishers and farmers right across the United Kingdom.”
He added: “Sunak has chosen not to offer and not to negotiate a veterinary agreement. He chose to not argue for one when Boris Johnson put through that botched Brexit deal and I don't think honestly anyone who voted leave was doing so to to do over our fishers and farmers, quite the opposite.
“I think they wanted better support…that's why at this General Election, Labour are saying we won't be joining the Single Market.
“We won't re-join the Customs Union, but we will seek to renegotiate a deal on veterinary agreements that removes paperwork and I can't really imagine people being a big fan of paperwork…
“This is a sensible change to improve what was a pretty rubbish deal and ensure that we're backing our food and drink producers, I think that's good news for British business.”
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