Five former Labour ministers have called for Europe's Commons Agricultural Policy to be scrapped.

In a letter to the Times, they claim the CAP deprives the world's poorest countries of £11 billion a year, while costing British families £7 billion a year.

The letter is signed by former trade minister Michael Wills; Doug Henderson and Keith Vaz, both of whom are ex-ministers for Europe; as well as Sally Keeble and George Foulkes who were international development ministers.

They argue that the policy is a major barrier to public confidence in the EU.

"The government should give further radical CAP reform the highest and most urgent priority in its European policy," the letter says.

The move will be seen as further evidence of the frustration in senior Labour circles over the lack of urgency the government has shown in trying to reform the CAP.