AN East Lancashire MP has met with farmers and the National Farmers’ Union to talk about the possible impact Brexit could have on the rural industry.

Julie Cooper met with around half a dozen farmers and looked at how the decision to leave the EU could impact on their jobs and roles within the economic climate.

Issues discussed at the meeting included a Brexit agreement which would ensuring a supply of farm workers was uninterrupted by future Labour regulations, offers financial and practical protection and support for farming businesses and EU subsidies are withdrawn.

The agreement should also encourage and support farmers in their role as ‘stewards of the countryside’, safeguarding the progress made in environmental protection in recent years, ensuring the quality and availability of local produce in the food chain is not compromised by cheaper imports and support is given to farmers in maintaining the highest possible standards of animal health and welfare.

Following the meeting, Mrs Cooper said: “I am extremely grateful to the farmers for their invitation to meet and for the warm welcome I received.

“This is obviously a time of great uncertainty for business owners in general, however farmers have a number of issues unique to themselves which I was pleased to learn more about.

“I have given them my assurance that I will take every opportunity in Parliament to raise the points they discussed with me.

“The NFU set out its vision for a positive post Brexit future last year; now it time that the government got to work on making clear its future agricultural policy.

“This should include firm details of the transitional arrangements which they intend to put in place to ensure continuity and a degree of certainty for farm business over the next few years.”

This comes as the environment secretary Michael Gove announced plans for farming subsidies to be given out to farmers after Brexit.

His plans included receiving payments for ‘public goods’ and would guarantee subsidies at the current level until the 2022 election.

The National Farmers’ Union regional manager Adam Briggs said: “We had a really productive meeting with Julie and covered a wide range of issues.

“This included the need for a food policy and animal health issues, but, as you will imagine, most of the discussion centred around Brexit.

“The main focus was on the impact this will have on hill farmers as, despite many thinking of Burnley as an urban sea, approximately 60 per cent of the constituency is farmed, much of this hill land.

“This provides a valuable resource to all constituents.

“We look forward to working with Julie to deliver a Brexit which works for all Burnley constituents.”