The Australian trade deal won't affect British production standards in the slightest

Minette Batters is entirely and wholly wrong here:

Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers’ Union – which bitterly opposed lifting levies on meat imports from Australia – said it would await further details, but was concerned Tuesday’s announcement “made no mention of animal welfare and environmental standards”.

She said: “We will need to know more about any provisions on animal welfare and the environment to ensure our high standards of production are not undermined by the terms of this deal."

The Australian trade deal will make no difference whatsoever to British production standards - whether they’re high or not. Beef - for this is the beef at issue - will be produced in Britain to British standards as previously.

What Ms. Batters is actually complaining about is that British consumers will now have the choice of beef produced to British standards or to Australian ones. This is, of course, an advance in freedom and liberty and so to be welcomed merely on those grounds. What Ms. Batters is worried about is that some to many will choose those Australian standards. Which is, as we say, an advance in liberty and freedom. For those who still prefer the British standards will be able to have them, those who don’t will not be required to.

Which does bring us to a point we’ve made before. The only possible logical reason for denying people such a choice is the fear that they might make the one the proposer of the ban would prefer they didn’t. After all, if everyone continued to prefer British standards then there would be no need at all for restrictions upon Australian beef. The call for the restrictions is this not just an admission it’s a positive insistence that some to many would prefer the Australian option.

And, when put like that, why in heck shouldn’t people have that choice? Why should production standards they don’t desire be imposed upon them?

That is, Ms. Batters, the very fact that you oppose the freedoms is why we should have them. Because you are agreeing that people desire the freedoms by your very opposition to them.