In his first interview with a national newspaper since his appointment as environment secretary in June, Michael Gove has signalled his intention to make farm payments dependent on the delivery of ‘environmental goods’, rather than the current land based payment system.

In interview with The Times, for which he also works as a columnist, Mr Gove said, “One of the things I want to do is see how we can better support investment in environmental goods rather than simply rewarding people for the number of hectares they have,” and took aim at the EU Common Agricultural Policy system, adding, “If you’ve got a sum of money that large, it shouldn’t be devoted to maintaining certain landowners in the style to which they have become accustomed.”

The Conservatives guaranteed to maintain spending on farm subsidies in their manifesto, extending their commitment to deliver the same level of subsidy spending from 2020 to 2022, two years after Britain is forecast to have left the EU.

Environment and conservation groups, most prominent amongst which has been the National Trust, have put pressure on the government to end land-based payments, which have been criticised for funnelling public money upwards to wealthy landowners, arguing for post-Brexit farm spending to be made dependent on environmental work, including measures to reverse Britain’s free-falling biodiversity, provide natural flood protection, support pollinators or boost soil health.

The interview struck a conciliatory tone, with the Defra secretary admitting he was surprised by his reappointment to a cabinet post; he also offered appeasing, humble reflection of his betrayal of Boris Johnson in the Conservative leadership contest which followed the pair’s victory in the Brexit referendum and the resignation of former PM David Cameron, and a volte-face on his assertion made whilst campaigning for Brexit that the British public have “had enough of experts.”   

Mr Gove expressed a desire to “Develop policies on the environment and animal welfare which we would not have been able to do in the EU,” and even said he wants to see live animal exports banned.

However, despite indicating that he is minded to listen to green groups’ policy recommendations, Mr Gove offered neither concrete plans, nor assurances to ease concerns that the planned Great Repeal Bill will leave the UK’s environment at risk. In a past life, Mr Gove attempted to remove teaching climate change from the geography curriculum and railed against the EU Habitats Directive, expressing a desire to do away with certain environmental regulations after Brexit.

With debates over the future of neonicotinoid pesticides heating up, as the EU moves closer to a ban on outdoor use of the controversial treatments, Mr Gove has been under pressure from political opponents to clarify his government’s position on neonicotinoids, which are strongly opposed by environment and civil society groups, but supported by the farm lobby.  

The Defra secretary’s interview also comes as reports from Westminster suggest Britain’s negotiators are abandoning their ‘Cake and eat it’ approach in talks with EU counterparts, and are recommending ministers choose between a future of greater sovereignty and greater economic distance from Europe, or more trade and more conformity with EU rules.