Brexiteer Prue Leith quits Tory Party after government votes down motion to protect UK food standards

Brexiteer Prue Leith has reportedly quit her membership of the Tory Party after the government rejected a motion that would have safeguarded UK food standards.

The Great British Bake Off judge has previously expressed concerns about the state of UK standards after Brexit and has called on MPs to not allow countries like America to import inferior food into Britain.

MORE: Jamie Oliver calls for greater scrutiny of post-Brexit trade deals in row over chlorinated chicken

Last week, MPs voted down an amendment to the Agriculture Bill which would have protected British farmers.

Leith reportedly cancelled her membership with the Tory Party in response but is yet to confirm the move publicly.

According to the Daily Mail, Leith’s son Danny Kruger, the Tory MP for Devizes in Wiltshire, also voted with the government on the Agriculture Bill

MORE: Tory MP Danny Kruger forced to apologise after he ‘simply forgot’ to wear face mask in train

The government has come under repeated pressure to impose safeguards on British food standards following reports chlorinated chicken and hormone-fed beef could end up on UK supermarket shelves as part of a post-Brexit trade deal with the US.

Environment minister Victoria Prentis rejected those claims, adding that existing laws already protect UK standards.

She also described concerns of lower quality food entering the UK as "fear-mongering". She said: "This government is not going to change it under any circumstances and we have said very clearly that in all our trade negotiations, we will not compromise our high environmental protection, animal welfare or food standards.

"We have a range of tools to protect us, we have the existing regulation, we have parliamentary scrutiny which I detailed earlier, including the select committee which I for one think is significant."