Word from the Lobby is that panic is spreading in the farming corridors of power. Canada's shock ban on Texas cattle after the discovery of the New World screwworm has sent shivers through Whitehall. The flesh-eating parasite, which burrows into living tissue, is a biosecurity nightmare.
Farmers are fuming. They want guarantees our borders are watertight. The NFU is already briefing MPs. One backbencher told me: 'This is a ticking time bomb for British agriculture.'
The worm is a predator. It lays eggs in open wounds. The larvae devour flesh. A single infected cow can trigger a crisis. Canada’s move is draconian but understandable. Now Defra faces pressure. Questions will be asked in the Commons. The Transport Secretary is rattled.
Sources at the Port of Dover tell me checks are minimal. 'We can’t handle another scandal,' a Defra insider whispered. The PM’s office is monitoring. They know farming votes matter.
The game is on. Biosecurity is the new Brexit. Expect fireworks at Prime Minister’s Questions. The worm turns.
