Meacher Admits Govt Under Pressure from America Over GM

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Monday, 19 August 2002

The GM issue is again hitting the headlines this morning. In an interview with Marie Woolf, Chief Political Correspondent onThe Independent, Michael Meacher admitted that Britain was being pressed by the US to allow commercial planting. However, the Environment minister insisted he was "sceptical" of the benefits of GM and insisted: "We are not going to be bounced into this by the Americans." Any decision to open up commercial planting of GM crops would be based on hard evidence, he said.

The Environment minister's remarks are likely to inflame the controversy over the Government's handling of the GM issue, which received a blow last week when it emerged that trial crops have been contaminated with unauthorised GM seeds since the trials began. (See below)

In it's editorial, The Independent praises Mr Meacher for defying the government who, it says, has been 'bought' by the GM companies.

For the full stories visit www.independent.co.uk