THIS morning I heard a discussion between a very well briefed advocate of genetic modification in the agricultural industry and an ineffective opinion giver of the national Guardian newspaper.

GM was once again said to be the future of the industry. The counter argument was the regulation, which forbids it, would be better if it remained. Like if we stayed part of the EU.

But given our imminent exit from this trading group we must accept our biggest industry in Cheshire is at a cross roads. Without regulation there would be nothing to prevent these ideas from flourishing. Ideas like feeding herbivores with the meat of contaminated animals.

But, I can hear farmers shouting ‘we have the tractor mark’. To be honest I have never noticed a tractor mark on any food stuff.

Yet were we to accept the EU regulations would vanish in a blind rush to get a trade deal with America, then what would be there to protect us from another ‘idea’?

Certainly not some mark on a package no one can find.

But the opposite might be true. I for one would view the tractor sign as indication of regulation free food which should be given a very wide berth indeed.

Roderick Oates Tabley