Why Farmers Should Embrace British Nationalism
Another superb article from the highly recommended Land and People web site. — Why is it, we ask, that Britain’s farming industry, arguably the most efficient in the world, seems to be forever staggering from one crisis to the next? Is it that our farmers are unable to manage their affairs, don’t understand the marketplace or are so hopelessly entrenched in their ways that they are unable to compete in a changing world? No — of course not. None of these ‘explanations’ are credible.
The problem with the industry is that it receives no effective support from the Government and hasn’t done for many a year now. To be precise, neither the incumbent Labour regime nor the Tory one that preceded it, view the industry as being strategic. By strategic we mean vital to the national interest. This despite the lessons of the last century, in which enemy blockade should have taught us the importance of self-sufficiency in food production.
So why is it that the industry doesn’t get any meaningful, consistent or long-term support from Labour or Tory governments? The reason is twofold.
Firstly, both the Labour and Tory parties are Europhile in outlook — meaning that they serve the interests of EU-wide agriculture — of which the British sector is but a small part. For these EU supporting parties to place the interest of the British producer before that of the Continental producer would be akin to the proverbial tail wagging the dog! Labour and Tory governments serve EU interests — which, for the most part, are not those of the British producer — nor likely to be! And for as long as this country remains in the EU that will continue to be the situation.
Secondly, both Tory and Labour governments are firmly committed to the concept of Free Trade. Now Free Trade served Britain well when we were the centre of an enormous empire — but those days are long gone.
Even today, Free Trade has its place, but not to the extent of facilitating the importation of cheap, often subsidised, produce to unfairly undermine the livelihoods of our producers.
Put bluntly, as both EU and Free Trade are central to Labour and Tory policy, British producers can’t realistically expect either of them to provide the political backing that the industry clearly needs!
This has become even more evident in the last twelve months where we have seen unprecedented increases in the price of feed, fuel and fertiliser. As a consequence is it any wonder that sugar beet producers, sick to their back teeth of the virtual monopoly enjoyed by British Sugar, are threatening to quit the industry or switch to other crops? Is it any surprise that dairy farmers are protesting over the supermarket price war that threatens to hit the price of liquid milk at the farm gate? Is it really a shock that our livestock producers are facing a multi-thousand pound loss this year directly due to the price of feed? And where is the support for dairy bull calf producers now that the Dutch have banned imports?
So, where is the support from Government for sugar beet producers forced to accept £26 per tonne for their produce? Where are the guarantees from the Government that the price of milk won’t drop below 27ppl — far less for an increase to match the actual increase in farm input costs? Where is the aid for the livestock industry facing massive losses this year?
The fact remains that if our farming industry were some Third World economic basket case country, then this Europhile Free-Trader Government would be handing it money, hand over fist, in aid!
Yet the farming industry doesn’t want aid, anymore than it wants subsidies — what it wants is a fair price for its produce and a Government that recognises the strategic importance of the industry and supports it accordingly.
* The British National Party has been getting an excellent response at the county and agricultural shows it has been attending. Regular attendance at such shows is something the Party wants to encourage. To that end we here publish a list of all the shows planned between the start of September and the end of the year.
Further details on these events and arrangements for a supply of appropriate Land & People literature can be obtained by contacting landandpeople @ bnp.org.uk
For the full list of upcoming shows, see the Land and People website here.
