Like the government, agriculture needs a big reset around food security

​The recent election results brought to a head issues that have been fermenting for months.

With or without a change of leader the government is in deep trouble that will not be reversed by an anaemic boost in UK economic growth in the first quarter of the year.

We have a party less than two years from a general election where it secured one of the biggest majorities ever. Instead of governing with that comfort blanket it is tearing itself apart.

This emulates the Conservatives many changes of leader which all failed to deliver party unity or government stability.

At the same time the UK, like some other European countries, is witnessing a far right party led by a charismatic individual now being on the cusp of power.

At the opposite end of the political spectrum England has a Green party, far removed from the fading pro-environment Greens in Europe, but committed to left wing Corbyn style politics most people believed had been binned.

To add an additional twist the UK's devolved regions all have first ministers committed to independence.

This will strain relations with a Westminster government already struggling with the harsh realities of a weak economy and a deeply divided party.

This will make rational debate difficult and that will hit the farming industry already struggling to have its voice and views heard in the corridors of power.

This puts the industry at a huge disadvantage against farmers in Europe, who despite changes to the CAP mechanisms still have financial security and the ear of politicians.

In Europe this is a far from welcome situation in UK politics. Regardless of the Brexit decision, the EU needs a politically and economically stable UK as a market and for its globally recognised diplomatic skills.

While he is one of the UK's least popular prime ministers ever, Starmer is well respected in Europe and may find a new role there when his time in UK politics ends voluntarily or via a party coup.

Respect is based on his stance over defence spending, Ukraine and more recently his willingness to stand up to bullying from Trump.

In his reset speech this week and he is realising just how long a week in politics can be Starmer promised closer ties with the EU. In seeking those he will be pushing on an open door in Brussels. However like a lot of his policies it may prove ineffectual and too little, too late.

Starmer is bound by a manifesto commitment not to enter a customs union with the EU or return to the single market.

This is regardless of how compelling the economic logic of doing so may be now, close to 10 years after the Brexit vote.

On that basis change will be tentative and inherently unstable, because it will be easily swept away if Reform, as the son of the Brexit party, ever get their hands on the levers of power.

If there is a new Labour leader they will be under pressure to spend their way out of a cost of living crisis.

The pressure not to pass on rises in farm production costs to consumers will be intense, because the government, already wedded to a massive welfare bill, cannot afford to do any more.

There is no growth in the economy to boost tax revenues and employment has been hit by higher employer costs and a rising minimum wage.

Above all the UK economy is now being seen as risky, with the ultimate measure of confidence five year government bond costs -climbing.

There is no measure more stark than five per cent against three per cent for most European countries.

It may noy be a diplomatic way to put it, but financial markets are seeing the UK economy as something of a basket case, with political instability making an already bad economic situation worse.

Like the government, agriculture needs a big reset around food security.

But, no matter where politics goes in the coming months, that will not make it onto the agenda of a government that, despite a massive majority, is struggling to last out to a general election in three years time.