The South Antrim MLA has criticised the UFU for failing to give space to the independent external review to report on the operation at Fivemiletown, despite calling for it only days ago.

“It is clear from this stunt that the Ulster Farmers’ Union has no interest in separating fact from fiction,” said Mr Blair.

“Minister Muir has acted decisively to ensure openness and transparency by quickly announcing an independent review into the circumstances surrounding this deeply distressing operation, yet the UFU has pre-empted its conclusions by taking this cynical, irrational and ill-judged vote of no confidence.

“The Minister spent three hours with the AERA Committee highlighting the complexity of the situation and horrendous animal welfare abuses on the farm in question, which led to the deprivation order. At my request, the Committee will include these broader animal welfare concerns in its forthcoming consideration of the review once it completes. I look forward to the compassion for animals expressed by so many politicians in recent days continuing as they vote on my bill to end hunting foxes with dogs in Northern Ireland.

"Andrew Muir has been the only Minister in the history of the Department to take their responsibilities for our environment seriously, and he has made every effort to work with agriculture to reverse the decades of neglect that have led to Lough Neagh and widespread nature decline. Despite this, there are loud minority elements within farming that have taken every opportunity to drive a wedge between the environment and agriculture, to the detriment of the industry's long-term sustainability.

“With this move, the Ulster Farmers’ Union is yet again failing to provide the calm and measured leadership required and instead is being driven by disingenuous actors on social media, who expect the Minister to dance to the same tune as his predecessors.

“The days when a single lobby organisation can dictate government policy are over.“