Wednesday, November 02, 2005
HOEY ON HYPOCRITES
Nov 1 2005
PEOPLE who support the ban on fox-hunting but are happy to eat chickens are hypocrites, an outspoken MP has claimed.
Vauxhall Labour MP Kate Hoey, who has pledged to overturn her Government's ban on fox-hunting, has slammed animal welfare activists who are critical of hunting but do not speak out about intensive farming.
In her first interview as chairwoman of campaign group the Countryside Alliance, she said: "I have a lot of respect for people who have a view that no animal should be killed or used for anything - if they are wearing their plastic shoes.
"It's the kind of hypocrisy of people who will make a fuss about foxes while going out and buying their broiler chicken."
Ms Hoey, who was raised on a farm in rural Northern Ireland, also urged consumers to buy food from small neighbourhood shops rather than supermarkets.
FARMERS TO STRIKE
Three-day strike to pressure retailers
Nov 1 2005
Steve Dube, Western Mail
FARMERS across the UK have promised to support the first three-day farmers' strike, which starts tomorrow.
Livestock and vegetable farmers will not take their produce to market while dairy farmers will hold back as much milk as possible in a demonstration organised by Farmers for Action.
FFA chairman David Handley said plans had fallen through for Westbury Dairies in Wiltshire to dry as much milk as possible for earthquake victims in southern Asia. "Reluctantly, we have to ask producers to dispose of their withheld milk as they see fit, in a responsible manner, avoiding any pollution risk," he said.
"Any shortage of milk created at this stage will have a knock-on effect on the current milk market and generate further interest in additional strike action and peaceful protests planned in the run up to Christmas. This action will put pressure on the retailers to make sure that primary producers get a substantial return for their product. We're asking all other producers to hold all stock and produce back for these three days and give any perishable produce to charitable causes."
Mr Handley, 53, a tenant farmer with a Jersey milk herd at Llangovan near Monmouth, saidthat despite BSE, foot-and-mouth and now avian flu, the supermarkets continued importing cheap products from abroad.
CA & HOORAY HENRY IMAGE
That means trying to change the popular image of the typical Alliance supporter as a Hooray Henry. And the young family man from Narberth, West Wales, believes he is making progress.
"Our membership profile shows that we're a very broad church and we are very liberal in our attitudes," said Simon.
"We represent people of all social backgrounds, although high-profile supporters like the Duke of Westminster might make us look like an establishment operation.
"But Labour has some very wealthy supporters - and there're more former public schoolboys in Tony Blair's cabinet than there were in John Major's."
The appointment of the London inner city Labour MP and former Marxist Kate Hoey to chair the Alliance is further evidence of its broad appeal.
"We have more members in her constituency than the Labour Party," says Simon.
Surprisingly perhaps, London is also the biggest single region of the 104,000 Alliance members. The fact gives him hope that his aim to dismantle "the invisible barriers" between town and country is no fool's errand.
"A lot of city people have great empathy with rural Britain, and they have as much right as I, a born and bred countryman, to enjoy the countryside. They are all potential friends."
He sees the appointment this year of Dorset South MP Jim Knight as Defra minister in charge of rural affairs, landscape and biodiversity as a positive step in breaking down another barrier - between the Alliance and the Government.
"It's the first signs of someone sent out to make peace," he says.
"The previous choice of Ministers like Alun Michael and Elliot Morley did not inspire the impression that the Government was taking rural issues seriously.
"I disagree with Mr Knight on some things, but he is the first Minister who has come to us suggesting talks.
"The Government has seen us as its enemy when they should have seen us from the start as a potential friend.
"I want to be able to help the Government and with 200,000 supporters on our database we have a powerful grassroots communications system that they could use."
Simon concedes that both sides have made mistakes. The Alliance, an amalgamation of the British Fields Sports Society, the Countryside Movement and the Countryside Business Group in 1997, appeared to be a response to the election of a Labour Government likely to promote a Private Member's Bill to ban hunting.
The issue has dominated the agenda ever since. And with an active animal rights movement more than ready to contribute to party funds in exchange for a hotline to government, the future of other field sports like shooting and fishing threatens to monopolise future debate.
"But I want the Alliance to be seen as a first port of call for politicians of all persuasions and the media for information about all rural issues," he says.
"The Alliance has got a fantastic name and brand and is synonymous with rural campaigning.
"My main ambition is for people to think it's a force for good and has something positive to give.
"We are hampered by the protest thing which makes us seem negative because it looks as though all we're trying to do is stop things happening, even though I spend my time trying to make things happen.
"In the last 18 months I've been involved in 35 pieces of legislation affecting rural Britain, but people don't know about 34 of them."
Simon thinks it will take three years to unravel the mess of the Act banning fox hunting, but the main thing he wants is for the Government to introduce legislation that addresses the whole issue of wildlife management.
It would cover everything - snares, trapping, angling, shooting, raptors, badgers, seal culling to protect salmon stocks, even cormorants.
"Let's not cherry pick some activities. Let's look at all the means issue of controlling animal populations in the countryside.
"Research has shown that the public regards motive as the measure of cruelty, not the act of killing itself. People are not squeamish about killing animals for a purpose, but they don't like it done for sport."
His biggest worry is that the countryside is seen as nothing more than an open air theme park.
"It's a work place and farmers are mostly sensitive to its recreational aspects, although economic pressures sometimes cause difficulties."
