British farmland will be turned over to developers if we sign the wrong trade deal with Australia

The demise of British agriculture caused by the importation of produce from Australia and elsewhere will allow millions of acres of disused farmland to be built on by housing developers. Is this one reason why the development companies contribute so much to the Tory party? What a legacy for our grandchildren: millions of acres of countryside covered in poorly built, badly designed houses, some of which will no doubt be built on flood plains.

David South

Manningtree, Essex

The appointment of Lord Botham as trade envoy to Australia fits a familiar pattern. The prime minister seems afraid of appointing people to public positions who have any knowledge or expertise in the brief they are given. They are seemingly chosen on the basis of, “Is this person someone with whom I’d be happy having a pint?” Perhaps Boris Johnson thinks that all the job of trade envoy involves is to be good at banter and the ability to knock back a few schooners with your mates. This exposes his lack of confidence and fear that his ideas should be subjected to any intellectual rigour or possible challenge. This trait seems to extend to his choice of cabinet.  Leadership is more than an ability to rouse a crowd.

C C Elshaw

Headley Down

Ian Botham to Australia is just one of a growing number of UK trade envoys being appointed around the world. That amounts to a lot of international flights. Is the government measuring the likely carbon footprint of all these appointments ahead of Cop26?

Roger Hinds

Surrey

I would like to ask why it is necessary to add the word “veteran” to describe Jon Snow (‘Anti-vaccine-passport protesters storm ITN studios’, 23 August). In this context it is ageist and unnecessary, as the majority of the population is probably aware of his position in the media. Unless of course you are implying that Mr Snow’s age makes him vulnerable to attack by the demonstrators.

A small plea: forego the ageist adjectives, please.

David Shobbrook

Awbridge, Hants

Your article, “Brighton divided as pesticide ban leads to ‘dangerous’ weeds” (23 August), ignores the human health benefits of ending pesticide use in urban areas such as Brighton.

More than three-quarters of the pesticides sprayed in UK towns and cities contain the weedkiller glyphosate, classified by the World Health Organisation as a “probable human carcinogen”. Children are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of pesticides because their bodies are still developing. Due to health concerns, when glyphosate received approval in 2017 it was under the condition that its use was “minimised in public spaces”.

The UK is lagging behind countries like France which banned pesticides from urban areas four years ago. Cities like Montreal and New York have introduced restrictions, as have a third of London boroughs, including Hammersmith & Fulham which has been pesticide-free since 2016.

This issue is not party political. Brighton & Hove Council’s commitment to go pesticide-free was made in 2019 when Labour was in charge. The Conservative’s London mayoral manifesto promised to “work with local councils to phase out pesticide use”. In 2019, councillor Robert Nemeth, who is quoted in your article, pledged to work towards going pesticide-free if elected.

Stopping pesticide use is not about rewilding. It is about ending the outdated use of toxic chemicals where we live and play. While some areas (like road verges) can be left to grow, others must be cleared. I was deeply saddened to hear that two women have sustained injuries from tripping on weeds and wish them the speediest of recoveries. But pavements can be kept clear using non-chemical alternatives to pesticides which are widely available and have already been adopted by 80 UK councils.

The past months have presented particular challenges with Covid-related staff shortages and erratic weather driving weed growth. While there may be teething problems as we transition away from pesticides, towns and cities in the UK and beyond have proven that if we work together to find solutions we can usher in a healthier and more sustainable future for both people and wildlife. 

Josie Cohen

Brighton & Hove resident and head of Policy & Campaigns at the Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK)