Supporting Cornish Farming
The future for British agriculture can be bright if the seize the opportunities of the UK being able to chart its own course on the global market. Sadly, opportunities are being squandered through official red tape and bureaucratic over reach.
Farmers in Cornwall just want to be able to be productive by raising healthy livestock, growing good crops and provide good stewardship for the land.
Life has always been challenging for farmers - this is part of the industry. Unpredictable events such as weather, crop blight, and animal disease pandemics add to what is already a tough life with long hours. Add on to this extra burdens from the last few years including rising input costs, supply chain issues, rising inflation, difficulties in securing workers and increasing levels of red tape and unelected globalist agendas (e.g. Agenda 2030) being forced on our farmers by UK Government implementing ‘Green’ measures that no one voted for.
Indeed, it appears that our UK farmers are under tremendous and unwanted pressure that is affecting not only their ability and desire to contribute towards national food security but is also taking a toll on mental health.
As an example, see Moors plan leaves Cornwall farm families fearing for their livelihoods. Stories such as this are heartbreaking and completely unacceptable. It is understandable that farmers feel angry and let down by a political system that seems more interested in its own virtue signalling that in serving the interests of farmers and the wider community.
There is some hope. In The Netherlands, Farmers have had some success in pushing back against Governmental policies that are damaging for the industry. In the UK, we can achieve similar results at the regional and national levels by voting for parties that are sympathetic to the aims of our local and national farmers.
Personal Statement
Although not in the farming industry, throughout my adult life, I have had friends in the farming community. As a fellow industrialist, I can empathise with many of the difficulties that farmers experience in dealing with red tape and well meaning (if somewhat over zealous) regulations imposed on us all.
My view on regulations is that the need for regulation must be balanced with the needs of business to get on with the job of being productive. Productive businesses help local, national and global economies to flourish and, in turn, help our societies to thrive, prosper and deliver the resources to support our collective social responsibilities. Top down regulation and authoritarianism has never worked and is ultimately self defeating in its aims.
I fully support the desires and needs of farmers to be generally be left alone and only supported where support is required and asked for.
I am aware that, in 2016, many of the North Cornwall farming community voted to leave the European Union in the belief that and independent United Kingdom would be able to free itself of regulations and the so called “level playing field” commitments described in Mrs May’s terrible Brexit deal (draft). Due to the way that Brexit has (or perhaps not) been delivered by UK Government, UK farmers find themselves, in some cases, in a worse situation than before Brexit and with an increased burden being placed on them by the likes of DEFRA. Brexit, as it is currently implemented in Johnson’s “Oven Ready” deal with the European Union is not working for farmers or for the United Kingdom. Brexit needs to be finished and done right if we are to make the most of the opportunities that being an independent, sovereign nation offers us.
With the right will and representation in Government, we can start to shift things in the right direction for farmers. Dutch Farmers have shown us that anything is possible even in the face of what appear to be overwhelmingly powerful and well funded forces. We too, in North Cornwall, can achieve great things.
If elected, I very much look forward to working with the farming community of North Cornwall to secure the type of industry that we hoped that we were getting when we voted to leave the European Union.
Mission Statement
If elected as your MP for North Cornwall, I will represent the interests of Farmers in North Cornwall to the best of my ability. My mission will be to lobby for the removal of as much red tape as possible. I will also seek to delay with a view to ultimately reverse the World Economic Forum policies that are doing vast damage to our farming industry and placing our national food security at risk.
First 100 Days
The plan
- Identify passionate Farmers in North Cornwall willing and able to work with me to create policy.
- Create draft policy statements that are created and endorsed by local farmers.
- Meet with local officials to see where we are on local policies. Compare desired farmers policies to actual and create a consultation report based on the differences.
These initial steps will, I believe, be achievable within the first 100 days. Moving on from there, I would follow these issues up at a national and Governmental department level with the appropriate levels by asking for a wide ranging debate on moving this forward.
Whilst I can’t promise to change things overnight, I will be firmly on the side of local and national farming interests in my term in office. My undertaking is to do the best that I can.