The Conservative Party

[Jackov Altraids]

I broadly support most of what the current government have done since the last election and I don't support any political party as I'd rather they'd make the best decision rather than the one they are pre-disposed to.
The point of this thread is to ask, is the myth that the Conservative party is the best for farmers and farming finally dead?
Refusing to make imports meet our minimum standards despite it being broadly what they promised in their manifesto.
Removing subsidies for farming and giving it to anyone to basically stop.
Banning live exports and limiting movements.

What more can they do to make our lives difficult?....
I fear there future trade deals will be the answer.

 

[GeorgeC1]

It's the overton window effect, the Tory party is good at one thing (or at least used to be)- that is staying within that window.

Public views towards live animal export/inport etc.. have changed over the past couple decades and the Tories want to win there votes.

Not saying if I agree with it or not but that's my observation of how the Tories operate.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

It's the overton window effect, the Tory party is good at one thing (or at least used to be)- that is staying within that window.

Public views towards live animal export/inport etc.. have changed over the past couple decades and the Tories want to win there votes.

Not saying if I agree with it or not but that's my observation of how the Tories operate.

If you polled a thousand people what concerns they have, I doubt one would mention the transportation of animals.
Of course it depends how people are asked.......
Do you think animals should be banned from transportation...... No

Do you think we should end the cruel and barbaric practice of stuffing thousands of animals in to boats to be killed abroad.......

Most of the cars I meet on my local roads are people transporting their dogs for a walk.

 

[GeorgeC1]

If you polled a thousand people what concerns they have, I doubt one would mention the transportation of animals.
Of course it depends how people are asked.......
Do you think animals should be banned from transportation...... No

Do you think we should end the cruel and barbaric practice of stuffing thousands of animals in to boats to be killed abroad.......

Most of the cars I meet on my local roads are people transporting their dogs for a walk.

I see it as part of Animal welfare, I think how animals are transported in much of the continent (not just cattle, but horses etc.. as well) to be barbaric.

Also there's an increasing number of people who eat less meat in general so they would be more aware of Animal issues.

a good chunk of my relatives over the decade have become vegetarian or vegan!

 

[Cowabunga]

I broadly support most of what the current government have done since the last election and I don't support any political party as I'd rather they'd make the best decision rather than the one they are pre-disposed to.
The point of this thread is to ask, is the myth that the Conservative party is the best for farmers and farming finally dead?
Refusing to make imports meet our minimum standards despite it being broadly what they promised in their manifesto.
Removing subsidies for farming and giving it to anyone to basically stop.
Banning live exports and limiting movements.

What more can they do to make our lives difficult?....
I fear there future trade deals will be the answer.

Farming has quite consistently done better under Labour than the Conservatives. I thought everyone knew that. Obviously not then. In fact basic industries generally have done better under Labour. The Tories main interest has always been The City of London and its institutions. Nothing much exists for them outside of London and the Home Counties.
They don't want industry in their back yard and prefer to tick some boxes for some ridiculous targets by exporting the industry and jobs elsewhere and importing retail goods, therefore abdicating themselves from the inevitable work of making stuff with the energy use and potential issues that it may cause. Out of sight, out of mind.

It's not even as if they try to hide the fact that they actively discriminate against British production, as most farmers are now, at last, just beginning to see. They are perfectly willing to sell industry down the river for cheaper imports that do not comply with UK standards while insisting that UK standards remain for UK farmers. It is also becoming obvious now that they are using a two pronged approach to decimating agriculture; the first I just mentioned, the second by hitting emissions targets by getting rid of ruminant animals by making them uncompetitive and unviable over large swathes of the UK while encouraging good food producing farmland to be wilded and otherwise planted with trees. There will be no less demand for food, so where do you think this will be produced? Not here, that's for sure.

I have been telling people that this was coming for the last five years or so. Perhaps now a few more farmers will realise that their livelihood and the whole shape of the rural economy is actively planned to go to hell in a handbasket over the next decade. They are actually telling us upfront now that this is going to happen. It is only going to happen because the Tories want it to happen. It is a political decision.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

I see it as part of Animal welfare, I think how animals are transported in much of the continent (not just cattle, but horses etc.. as well) to be barbaric.

Also there's an increasing number of people who eat less meat in general so they would be more aware of Animal issues.

a good chunk of my relatives over the decade have become vegetarian or vegan!

A person's diet is their free choice.
If they say they are vegetarian/ vegan because it is better for animals/ the environment, they are mistaken.

I was horrified to watch a recent outback truckers episode where [ I think] over 100,000 head of cattle where lorried to a ship over 48 hours.
The UK is a pretty small area and I don't believe there would be any unacceptable transportation within it.

 

[beefandsleep]

I see it as part of Animal welfare, I think how animals are transported in much of the continent (not just cattle, but horses etc.. as well) to be barbaric.

Also there's an increasing number of people who eat less meat in general so they would be more aware of Animal issues.

a good chunk of my relatives over the decade have become vegetarian or vegan!

What is your experience of animal transportation on the continent?
Have you actually seen the livestock containers used by Dutch, German or Italian hauliers for example?
I can tell you they are outstanding and much copied by container manufacturers in the U.K.
If we were talking about shipping live cattle, sheep or pigs to China from the U.K. by road I might agree with you, but shipping lambs or calves to Antwerp, sorry, you have no clue. It’s quicker to take lambs to Calais from Ashford Market than it is to drive North of the M25.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

Farming has quite consistently done better under Labour than the Conservatives. I thought everyone knew that. Obviously not then. In fact basic industries generally have done better under Labour. The Tories main interest has always been The City of London and its institutions. Nothing much exists for them outside of London and the Home Counties.
They don't want industry in their back yard and prefer to tick some boxes for some ridiculous targets by exporting the industry and jobs elsewhere and importing retail goods, therefore abdicating themselves from the inevitable work of making stuff with the energy use and potential issues that it may cause. Out of sight, out of mind.

It's not even as if they try to hide the fact that they actively discriminate against British production, as most farmers are now, at last, just beginning to see. They are perfectly willing to sell industry down the river for cheaper imports that do not comply with UK standards while insisting that UK standards remain for UK farmers. It is also becoming obvious now that they are using a two pronged approach to decimating agriculture; the first I just mentioned, the second by hitting emissions targets by getting rid of ruminant animals by making them uncompetitive and unviable over large swathes of the UK while encouraging good food producing farmland to be wilded and otherwise planted with trees. There will be no less demand for food, so where do you think this will be produced? Not here, that's for sure.

I have been telling people that this was coming for the last five years or so. Perhaps now a few more farmers will realise that their livelihood and the whole shape of the rural economy is actively planned to go to hell in a handbasket over the next decade. They are actually telling us upfront now that this is going to happen. It is only going to happen because the Tories want it to happen. It is a political decision.

I fear you are right.
It only recently dawned on me when I saw a letter from the local MP [conservative] explaining why it was important to vote against the Lord's amendment on agricultural imports.
I'm beginning to believe @delilah is right, with respect to farming, the Green party would be the best to vote for. The Cuntservatives certainly seem to be about the worst.

 

[Al R]

I fear you are right.
It only recently dawned on me when I saw a letter from the local MP [conservative] explaining why it was important to vote against the Lord's amendment on agricultural imports.
I'm beginning to believe @delilah is right, with respect to farming, the Green party would be the best to vote for. The Cuntservatives certainly seem to be about the worst.

Not backing them up at all or any political party but a lot of the changes are also happening in Europe and if anything it’s the general population to blame - back to blaming vegans, packham and monboit - and cuntryfile, don’t forget that lot have destroyed/opinionated the general population far more than anything else

 

[Jackov Altraids]

Not backing them up at all or any political party but a lot of the changes are also happening in Europe and if anything it’s the general population to blame - back to blaming vegans, packham and monboit - and cuntryfile, don’t forget that lot have destroyed/opinionated the general population far more than anything else

To an extent, but the direction of travel for the Cons seems to follow Cowabunga's summary more than Packham et al.

 

[M-J-G]

I see it as part of Animal welfare, I think how animals are transported in much of the continent (not just cattle, but horses etc.. as well) to be barbaric.

Also there's an increasing number of people who eat less meat in general so they would be more aware of Animal issues.

a good chunk of my relatives over the decade have become vegetarian or vegan!

 

[Will Blackburn]

I feel they never had our backs, because they’ve always been able to rely on our votes. Now we have such a ridiculous opposition they can absolutely follow their Goldsmith agenda with no come back.

 

[melted welly]

Just need to watch the news t see their priorities. Who are the go to industries for sound bytes on the state of the nation? Nail bars, tattoo studios and hair dressers. Never talking to any manufacturers, producers or exporters.

just a big distraction whilst industry is exported to be replaced by tradeable commodities meaning the city speculator friends of the politicians can crack on with their profitable speculation on and manipulation of the markets.

 

[GeorgeK]

Unfortunately this comes down to numbers, and they're not on our side. The total number of people working in the UK's agricultural industry is 346,000 (ONS 2018), 0.5% of the population. Our vote is inconsequential so why would short term politicians only interested in getting and maintaining power listen to us?
Politics nowadays is based on short term populism. Tell people what they want to hear, and when the promises fail to materialise either fiddle the statistics or find an easy target to blame.
The majority of voters want cheap food and don't care where it comes from. They want the countryside to look pretty and to walk their dog in. They want to be told pollution isn't their fault it's someone else's.
Anyone challenging these beliefs won't get elected. It's a grim picture but hard truths and the sacrifices required to deliver long term sustainability are no longer politically achievable

 

[ewald]

Why debase a valid argument with such an off-putting and borderline obscene thread title?
Very 4th form
2 out of 10

When will some contributors realise, that in most circumstances, bad language (even when partially hidden by the filters) does nothing to advance their points?

 

[Bald Rick]

Just need to watch the news t see their priorities. Who are the go to industries for sound bytes on the state of the nation? Nail bars, tattoo studios and hair dressers. Never talking to any manufacturers, producers or exporters.

just a big distraction whilst industry is exported to be replaced by tradeable commodities meaning the city speculator friends of the politicians can crack on with their profitable speculation on and manipulation of the markets.

You do realise that Sunik is as bad as Johnson (& Princess Nut Nuts)?
Sunik has been pushing freeports for years and is now in the process of implementing 10 ... partly because he's involved with a number of hedge funds directly standing to benefit

Tories are rotten to the core

 

[Bald Rick]

Unfortunately this comes down to numbers, and they're not on our side. The total number of people working in the UK's agricultural industry is 346,000 (ONS 2018), 0.5% of the population. Our vote is inconsequential so why would short term politicians only interested in getting and maintaining power listen to us?
Politics nowadays is based on short term populism. Tell people what they want to hear, and when the promises fail to materialise either fiddle the statistics or find an easy target to blame.
The majority of voters want cheap food and don't care where it comes from. They want the countryside to look pretty and to walk their dog in. They want to be told pollution isn't their fault it's someone else's.
Anyone challenging these beliefs won't get elected. It's a grim picture but hard truths and the sacrifices required to deliver long term sustainability are no longer politically achievable

Or to put it succinctly....

Self serving

 

[delilah]

I fear you are right.
It only recently dawned on me when I saw a letter from the local MP [conservative] explaining why it was important to vote against the Lord's amendment on agricultural imports.
I'm beginning to believe @delilah is right, with respect to farming, the Green party would be the best to vote for. The Cuntservatives certainly seem to be about the worst.

Unfortunately this comes down to numbers, and they're not on our side. The total number of people working in the UK's agricultural industry is 346,000 (ONS 2018), 0.5% of the population. Our vote is inconsequential so why would short term politicians only interested in getting and maintaining power listen to us?

Which is why, as I may have said on here before, UK agriculture and the environment movement are each others greatest allies. Neither can achieve its objectives without the support of the other. We cannot meet this countries climate change targets without re localizing the food supply chain. A profitable, vibrant UK ag is central to saving the planet. The mainstream envi movement gets all of that, it is why they shop at farmers markets, get a veg box delivered etc etc. And that is where the votes are. Millions of them.

edit: The conservative party is run for and on behalf of big business. That didn't matter when 'big business' meant the local guy who had done well, creating local jobs, paying local taxes. It matters now, because 'big business' today means global corporations.

 

[melted welly]

You do realise that Sunik is as bad as Johnson (& Princess Nut Nuts)?
Sunik has been pushing freeports for years and is now in the process of implementing 10 ... partly because he's involved with a number of hedge funds directly standing to benefit

Tories are rotten to the core

Didn’t know that, but not at all surprised, the current state of uk politics is depressing

 

[Bald Rick]

Didn’t know that, but not at all surprised, the current state of uk politics is depressing

Sunak is a multi millionaire ex hedge fund owner (& still a "sleeping" partner in one) married to a billionaire wife, Akshata Murty making him one of the richest, if not the richest, man in UK politics.

He is not an Uncle figure that the media like to portray him as. But very likely the next PM ... possibly as early as May next year