Clarkson and Farage are both behind the farmers...but the Left should only fear one of them - Stephen Pound
It was something of an eye-opener to see so many farmers and their friends far from the fields converging on Westminster in what was a pretty significant demonstration.
Nowhere as large as the save our fox hunting march, the anti-Iraq war protest or even the most recent pro-Europe parade, this was still a major event that was quite rightly given massive coverage in this country and across Europe. Although the French farmers must have thought our custodians of the countryside a bunch of wusses as there were no burning tyres blocking motorways or slurry sprays over the Parliament building.
In fact, the French may not be good at too many things – their popular music is abysmal and their proud cooking is an invitation to cholesterol overdose and an early grave – but they certainly know how to riot and it is no surprise to learn that the word “sabotage” was first coined by striking coalminers who used their wooden shoes (sabots) to jam the conveyor belts bring up the coal.
Having said that, the agricultural activists were well-behaved and considerate of the sensibilities of us townies.
Parliament Square was actually a lot cleaner after the country folk had departed than it was before they arrived, so fair play to them.
Many of us see that farming has been well protected with generous subsidies and even cut-price fuel – “red diesel” – that are not available to other professions.
Certainly, the fishing industry looks with undisguised envy at the subsidy regime enjoyed by farmers and many a small family business would give an arm and a leg for inheritance tax at half the usual rate.
According to the June 2016 opinion polls, the majority of farmers voted for Brexit and, to a certain extent, they may be regretting this.
I still have some good friends in the farmyard from my time working on the National Union of Agricultural and Allied Workers paper, although the monthly Miss Landworker pin-up perished with that periodical many years ago.
Those I speak to say that their principal concern for the very existence of farming in this country is the 40 per cent increase in food and fertiliser cost that they have had to absorb in the past six years, the loss of EU subsidies and the absolute epidemic of rural crime resulting from the massive reductions in police numbers.
The state of the NHS, national security, and the appalling state of our roads affect farmers as much as the rest of us and it is this basket of grievances that went some way towards fuelling the fury of the protest.
Hopefully, the Government can see that there really is a special case to be made for small family farms and whack a tax on the barley barons and hedge funds who snap up farms for what is currently a jolly good tax avoidance mechanism.
For me, the stand-out moments of the march were not just the overall decency and seriousness displayed by the farmers and their friends but the contrasting reception given to two of the speakers.
I discount the risible antics of Sir Ed Davey, who demonstrated that not only is he a champion bungee jumper but someone who can get aboard a bandwagon with shameless alacrity. The Tory speaker should have been told that a Union flag dress was not what should have been worn on what was a Barbour jacket and Hunter gumboot day, but it was the contrast between Jeremy Clarkson and Nigel Farage that gave me the most food for thought.
Frankly; Clarkson made an absolute **** of himself and to blame a toxic combination of analgesics on his poor performance is no excuse.
The fact that one national paper hailed him as the future saviour of the nation and even our own Anglo-Saxon Trump can inflate what is already a substantial ego even further.
Clarkson is an excellent comic writer and a person of intelligence, and energy with a strong iconoclastic streak, but as the tribune of the rural economy, he is woefully out of his depth.
Farage, by contrast, was received with both affection and respect. He not only looked like a countryman but spoke like one and if I were a small farmer I know who I would look to for leadership.
However things play out on the farmed fields of the nation, there can be no doubt that the President of the National Farmers Union was correct in his polite request to Clarkson that he return to his commercial enterprises and media career.
Farage, on the other hand, has yet again shown that he is the man that those of us on the left have good reason to fear.
I think everybody supports the farmers when it come to being ripped off by the supermarkets. Not many support one rule for them and another for everybody else on IHT.
Comments
That must make life at home interesting.
It was something of an eye-opener to see so many farmers and their friends far from the fields converging on Westminster in what was a pretty significant demonstration.
Nowhere as large as the save our fox hunting march, the anti-Iraq war protest or even the most recent pro-Europe parade, this was still a major event that was quite rightly given massive coverage in this country and across Europe. Although the French farmers must have thought our custodians of the countryside a bunch of wusses as there were no burning tyres blocking motorways or slurry sprays over the Parliament building.
In fact, the French may not be good at too many things – their popular music is abysmal and their proud cooking is an invitation to cholesterol overdose and an early grave – but they certainly know how to riot and it is no surprise to learn that the word “sabotage” was first coined by striking coalminers who used their wooden shoes (sabots) to jam the conveyor belts bring up the coal.
Having said that, the agricultural activists were well-behaved and considerate of the sensibilities of us townies.
Parliament Square was actually a lot cleaner after the country folk had departed than it was before they arrived, so fair play to them.
Many of us see that farming has been well protected with generous subsidies and even cut-price fuel – “red diesel” – that are not available to other professions.
Certainly, the fishing industry looks with undisguised envy at the subsidy regime enjoyed by farmers and many a small family business would give an arm and a leg for inheritance tax at half the usual rate.
According to the June 2016 opinion polls, the majority of farmers voted for Brexit and, to a certain extent, they may be regretting this.
I still have some good friends in the farmyard from my time working on the National Union of Agricultural and Allied Workers paper, although the monthly Miss Landworker pin-up perished with that periodical many years ago.
Those I speak to say that their principal concern for the very existence of farming in this country is the 40 per cent increase in food and fertiliser cost that they have had to absorb in the past six years, the loss of EU subsidies and the absolute epidemic of rural crime resulting from the massive reductions in police numbers.
The state of the NHS, national security, and the appalling state of our roads affect farmers as much as the rest of us and it is this basket of grievances that went some way towards fuelling the fury of the protest.
Hopefully, the Government can see that there really is a special case to be made for small family farms and whack a tax on the barley barons and hedge funds who snap up farms for what is currently a jolly good tax avoidance mechanism.
For me, the stand-out moments of the march were not just the overall decency and seriousness displayed by the farmers and their friends but the contrasting reception given to two of the speakers.
I discount the risible antics of Sir Ed Davey, who demonstrated that not only is he a champion bungee jumper but someone who can get aboard a bandwagon with shameless alacrity. The Tory speaker should have been told that a Union flag dress was not what should have been worn on what was a Barbour jacket and Hunter gumboot day, but it was the contrast between Jeremy Clarkson and Nigel Farage that gave me the most food for thought.
Frankly; Clarkson made an absolute **** of himself and to blame a toxic combination of analgesics on his poor performance is no excuse.
The fact that one national paper hailed him as the future saviour of the nation and even our own Anglo-Saxon Trump can inflate what is already a substantial ego even further.
Clarkson is an excellent comic writer and a person of intelligence, and energy with a strong iconoclastic streak, but as the tribune of the rural economy, he is woefully out of his depth.
Farage, by contrast, was received with both affection and respect. He not only looked like a countryman but spoke like one and if I were a small farmer I know who I would look to for leadership.
However things play out on the farmed fields of the nation, there can be no doubt that the President of the National Farmers Union was correct in his polite request to Clarkson that he return to his commercial enterprises and media career.
Farage, on the other hand, has yet again shown that he is the man that those of us on the left have good reason to fear.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/clarkson-and-farage-are-both-behind-the-farmers-but-the-left-should-only-fear-one-of-them-stephen-pound/ar-AA1vybqH?ocid=msedgntp&pc=NMTS&cvid=0fb9c961a65f43578a91d09f0af09145&ei=39#fullscreen
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/farage-says-reform-mp-s-past-assault-conviction-against-ex-partner-irrelevant/ar-AA1vC7A3?ocid=msedgntp&pc=NMTS&cvid=87f071b2821f45f1a25f13e87a249fdb&ei=19#fullscreen
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/nigel-farage-hails-huge-new-poll-boost-for-reform-uk-the-trend-is-clear/ar-AA1vKDn9?ocid=msedgntp&pc=NMTS&cvid=9d3a8829473140168b896400a1d536c8&ei=12#fullscreen