Local Euro MP and Labour Agriculture Spokesman, Brian Simpson, has acted on a promise made to local sheep farmers on a recent visit to Borderway Mart in Carlisle and joined a campaign to reverse the imposition of electronic tagging.  He has joined other MEP’s from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland in demanding that any electronic tagging system should be voluntary and not compulsory.

“My visit to Cumbria in August when I met sheep farmers and auctioneers face to face, convinced me that a compulsory scheme would be expensive, prone to breakdown, be unworkable and give us no added benefits to the present system” said the MEP.

Mr Simpson promised farmers that if they give him the ammunition to oppose the scheme, he would take the fight to Brussels.  Now, true to his word, he had done that.  Working with other MEP’s, Mr Simpson is supporting a motion demanding that the European Commission abandon their wish for a compulsory E.I.D for sheep, in favour of a voluntary one.

“This would give the farmers the option and allow our Government to opt out of a system that appears expensively flawed to me.  Now we must get other MEP’s from all over Europe to support us, so that we can show the powers that be in the Commission that in the UK and Ireland, this scheme is not needed! Concluded Mr Simpson.