This year marks 25 years since the devastating 2001 foot and mouth outbreak. For many, it is a distant memory. For our farmers, it is not. It is a reminder of how quickly disease can bring rural Britain to its knees and how fragile our biosecurity truly is.
The scale of that crisis remains staggering. According to the National Audit Office, more than six million animals were slaughtered. The total cost to the UK economy exceeded £8 billion, with at least £3 billion falling directly on taxpayers. Entire rural economies shut down. Tourism collapsed. Livelihoods were destroyed. Communities were traumatised.
This was not simply an agricultural crisis. It was a national crisis.
Today, we face new and growing threats. African Swine Fever is sweeping across Europe and edging ever closer to our shores. Experts estimate an outbreak here could cost at least £100 million, with the impact falling heavily on pig producing regions like Norfolk. Our farmers know what is at stake. They are watching anxiously and asking whether we are truly prepared.
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Biosecurity is national security. It protects our food supply, our rural economy and our national resilience.
One of the greatest risks comes from illegal animal product imports. Too many people still believe that bringing back a little cheese or cured meat from abroad is harmless. It is not. These products can carry devastating diseases. One sandwich in the wrong place can trigger catastrophe.
We need a far more coordinated national effort. The Home Office and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs must work together to strengthen bio border enforcement. I strongly believe we must open a new border control post at Dover. It is unacceptable that vehicles can travel more than 20 miles inland before checks. We must also redouble enforcement at smaller ports and airports, the cracks through which illegal meat can enter.
Investment in science is welcome. The £1.4 billion redevelopment of facilities at Animal and Plant Health Agency Weybridge, led by the Animal and Plant Health Agency, alongside £200 million to upgrade biosecurity infrastructure, will strengthen our diagnostic capability. But science alone is not enough if our borders remain vulnerable.
We also face a crisis in veterinary capacity. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has reported a 68% drop in new EU registrants between 2019 and 2021. This shortage threatens our ability to monitor disease, protect public health and sustain international trade. Changes to the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 must go beyond consumer costs. It must deliver root and branch reform, expand training places and empower vets to protect our national biosecurity.
As the first Labour MP for South Norfolk since 1950, I take seriously my duty to speak up for our farmers. From avian influenza to African Swine Fever, they face constant threats. They need a government that recognises the seriousness of this moment.
The lesson of 2001 is clear. Disease does not respect borders. Complacency carries a cost measured in billions.
We cannot afford to learn that lesson again.
Biosecurity must be placed at the heart of our national security strategy. The safety of our farmers, our food and our country depends on it.
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