Leadsom admits uncertainty over post-Brexit environmental laws

[roscoe erf]

And Johnson said the NHS would gain £350 million a minute when out of Europe.

Politicians and their promises huh

We aren't out yet

 

[Guy Smith]

I'll make this as clear as I can.

Either start representing those who voted to Leave the EU or get pushed out.

Pretending that:

"There are a bunch of NIMBY's [go and destroy the environment elsewhere to make food] that have the upper hand at the moment and it looks very very difficult to respond to as there is NO direction."

Is in your head, 17.4 million people voted to throw the EU rules in the dustbin.

You have their full support.

FK the 80% of MPs who voted Remain.

You've misread the post - the quote in bold is not from me.

 

[wanton dwarf]

You've misread the post - the quote in bold is not from me.

Sorry if I've picked up the wrong stick.

Can you help ?

We see various scare stories in the media.

Personally I "feel" UK Agriculture policy still has domination from the Labour party via the "Charities & Quangos", which IMHO are proxy Labour/Greens.

How dominant are the NGOs, Quangos & Charities in influencing HMG policy and is there anything farmers and their families can do about it ?

Is there any sign the power of these bodies to meddle in Agriculture has been weakened ? Can farmers and their families do anything to change the power these organisations weild over farming ?



I once had some investments which began yielding poorly. I phoned up the bank and talked about the problems multiple times ... having been told always not to sell I asked at what point will you tell me to sell ? They replied "I'm not allowed to say that."

If I had known that I would have never gone to them for advice from day 1.

Even if I rant and rave at a person ... and in reality they can't or won't do anything about it ... what is the point ?

Is the NFU allowed / able to weaken the hold these organisation weild over farming ?

 

[Guy Smith]

I had the displeasure of having to listen to George Monbiot who was as usual banging on about the need to rewild vast tracts of UK farmland ( without mentioning the consequential increased imports of food) and interestingly he also started banging on about how the NFU was far to influential in Whitehall and given its 46,000 membership it yielded a disproportionate amount of power compared to the environmental NGOs who boasted millions of members between them.

 

[Will Blackburn]

How many members in something like the CBI? Do they have a disproportionate amount of power? Surely food is more important than other consumer goods? There are probably better examples. Should Facebook run the country?

 

[orchard]

So many speak on our behalf, yet none listen.

I had the displeasure of having to listen to George Monbiot who was as usual banging on about the need to rewild vast tracts of UK farmland ( without mentioning the consequential increased imports of food) and interestingly he also started banging on about how the NFU was far to influential in Whitehall and given its 46,000 membership it yielded a disproportionate amount of power compared to the environmental NGOs who boasted millions of members between them.

 

[wanton dwarf]

I had the displeasure of having to listen to George Monbiot who was as usual banging on about the need to rewild vast tracts of UK farmland ( without mentioning the consequential increased imports of food) and interestingly he also started banging on about how the NFU was far to influential in Whitehall and given its 46,000 membership it yielded a disproportionate amount of power compared to the environmental NGOs who boasted millions of members between them.

Most of the NGOs membership are not dependant on farming as an income nor as a way of life. Therefore IMHO the NGOs should not have ANY input AT ALL in ANY Farm policy. They face no repercusions nor responsibility for any of their opinions - their income is guaranteed and they face zero risk.

If they want to have input into a farming policy then they should demonstrate how that policy affects their work directly or leave out the door post haste.

Otherwise we are dealing with Politics - in which case they need to get elected in a general election. Where their biased political views can be put to the test of the general public.
IMHO "environmental policies" they create should be paid for by their "millions" of membership given THEY can afford it and obviously ARE responsible.



I know this is not your fault however a very big part of Brexit is the demand for Democracy to be up held.

So the NFU does have an opportunity to stir the water and keep stiring it ...

George Monbiot admitted he didn't even research the articles he writes basing them on "White papers"... leading to an article about water usage by Livestock being wrong by at least 10,000,000%. Because the "White paper" based the "theory" on the rainfall in the Amazon of a cattle farm ... this isn't a "mistake", this is politics, Monbiots usage IMHO is "Hatred".

Monbiot is a polical puppet.


Regardless of the above ... people who voted Brexit want massive change in Westminster ... you have support and a remit to ask for it.

On the numbers front the NFU needs a way of attracting numbers, easiest way would be for existing membership to be able to include "guest members" which might include family, workers and friends. What rights they get in the NFU ? dunno ... but there is an immediate opportunity for PR activites etc.

Anyway, as a suggestion do anything and everything to increase your membership ! My family farm is a member but I personally am not and I don't even go on the NFU website ... father never will because he is too old to be interested. You need to grab at the energy and conviction of youth ... open up the NFU to an army of supporters you have on Social media (I'm too old to use that as well).


I want to give Monbiot a good kicking .. give us the opportunity and tell us how we can help.

Even if it's only puplicising what meetings he will be at so we can turn up and heckle the nutter.

 

[wanton dwarf]

I had the displeasure of having to listen to George Monbiot who was as usual banging on about the need to rewild vast tracts of UK farmland ( without mentioning the consequential increased imports of food) and interestingly he also started banging on about how the NFU was far to influential in Whitehall and given its 46,000 membership it yielded a disproportionate amount of power compared to the environmental NGOs who boasted millions of members between them.

So going back to this 46,000 membership.

Our family farm has a membership.

When the NFU goes into bat in Westminster you represent everyone with an interest in the Farm.

11 family members
2 Part time Workers
2 Hunting & Shooting (Gonna be duplicated on other farms)
10+ Agricultural Trades (Gonna be duplicated on other farms)
? Sales, Support, Admin, Haulage (Gonna be duplicated on other farms)
? Farm diversification (Gonna be duplicated on other farms)

So for that 1 membership on this small family farm it represents 13 people financially.

Why not get NFU staff to create new member ids using these 13 details ? If you can get them on the NFU website, with the PR and merchandising opportunities ... and you end up with 10x ??? the numbers in Westminster.

Doesn't have to be a full membership.

Slogan ... "Farming count me in" ... gonna catch the associated trades ... "gotta catch em all".

 

[Guy Smith]

Just to be clear - I was paraphrasing Monbiot to illustrate a point not because I agree with his line of argument.

But you are quite right and we do make the point we they are 46,000 farm business memberships not just 46,000 individuals. There is also our Tens of thousands of Countryside and Student members but we need to be careful we are not accused of talking numbers up - which we are also sometimes accused of.