As Christmas draws near, I send you some of my final thoughts from 2025 on this crazy world and our even crazier country in the hands of Keir Starmer.
 
Much of what I include I pick up from friends, acquaintances or even strangers standing in the queue at the Post Office. Many of whom say they would voice their thoughts only in private My view is that unless we all say what we feel and think our silence is taken as accepting these outrages. There is so much more which I will attempt to cover in the New Year.
 
I am aware that some of what I say is viewed as offensive by those who do not agree. For this I apologies but I will not withdraw any of it. I speak the truth as I know it and my research is thorough.
 
I send you my warmest good wishes for a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY and HEALTHY NEW YEAR
 
Best wishes,
 
Carola
 
Christmas 2025
 
They say time flies when you are having fun. Well, I must have had a lot of fun this past year as it has flown by at such an incredible rate.
 
Christmas is once again upon us and during the run up to this Christian event, the BBC decided to air programs called Prayer and Reflection. These included ‘an invitation into sacred spaces across all four nations, from six of the UK’s ‘major’ faiths.’ One was taken from the central mosque in Glasgow; then it was the Hindu’s turn in Leicester, with more to come.
 
This is Advent. We are preparing to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, marking the Incarnation (God becoming human). Advent is made up of traditions blending biblical accounts of nativity and cultural customs, all centred on the message of God’s love and presence.
 
Why is the British Broadcasting Corporation promoting these alternative religions as important? The British public are angry. They want to celebrate Christmas traditionally, not apologetically for fear of offending other faiths.
 
How dare the Brighton and Hove Museums decide that in the name of diversity Father Christmas must be ‘decolonised’ because he is too white and reinforces damaging ideas about power and Western superiority. You really can’t make this stuff up. The museums are urging parents to actively ‘challenge the colonial gaze’ by abandoning the idea of Father Christmas ‘rewarding children based on a Western binary of “naughty/nice”.’
 
They say the story of Santa Claus who asks children of all cultures and traditions if they have been good, is a problem. Whatever next?
 
Andrew Pierce, (Daily Mail) recently brought up the subject of who will replace Sir Lindsay Hoyle when he decides to step down as Speaker. He suggests that local conservative MP for Wealden Nusrat Ghani, a Muslim who regularly plays the race card when she hasn’t got her own way, is the candidate to beat.
 
Ms Ghani recently donned a fellow MP’s tie to give herself a certain edge when she chaired the Budget debate. I would bet my bottom dollar that if you questioned conservative activists and volunteers, who have run the Wealden Constituency Association for her since she took on the seat from Charles Hendry in 2015, they would be appalled at the idea.
 
Let us hope Speaker Hoyle does not relinquish the Speaker’s chair before the next election which will make this outcome less likely, as it is probable that Reform will win her now marginal seat.
 
I have, clearly mistakenly, always believed that the Turner Prize was about recognising artistic excellence. This year, Alex Farquharson, Tate Britain’s director, and the jury’s chairman, chose to give the award to a learning-disabled artist, Nnena Kalu, who makes colourful, cocoon-like abstract sculptures out of materials such as tulle and VHS tape.
 
The Turner Prize has had some questionable winners in the past, most of which do not fall within my idea of ‘art’.  However, considering the prize is meant to recognise significant contributions to British art, with past laureates often becoming major figures in the art world, there are questions as to why Nnena Kalu’s work was chosen. Has the jury rewarded the artist or the artwork? Was this work really the best and most exceptional or is this about being ‘inclusive and PC’ regarding disability?
 
This government really does hate everything to do with rural life, including farmers, country sports and dog owners. Their lates ploy to introduce an Animal Welfare Bill, dressed up to try to persuade the public that they actually care about farm animals and wildlife, is just another ploy to stop drag hunting and other traditions supporting rural Britain.
 
If they succeed in getting this ‘war on the countryside’, through parliament, it will result in hundreds of hounds being destroyed. Retailers whose businesses rely on supplying feed - and much else besides - for the stables which keep the horses, will go out of business, and many of the horses which are kept for this innocent sport, will have to be put down.
 
Drag hunting is about following a scent which is laid by an athletic person running across the fields dragging a rag which has been soaked in a substance attractive to the hounds. Fox hunting was banned by Tony Blair in an act of malice in 2004, now being repeated by this pathetic government. Drag hunts do not kill foxes, they follow a scent spread by a human.
 
Other proposals would force farmers to no longer house hens in cages and stop the use of special pens which prevent farrowing sows from crushing their piglets to death. These rules will not affect foreign farms and their produce, which this government is happy to import and stack in supermarket shelves. It will however make British eggs and pork products more expensive.
 
Sir Keir Starmer last week agreed a Brexit deal that hands control of Gibraltar’s border to the EU. Under the terms of the deal, Spanish border guards will have the final say on whether a UK citizen can enter the British Overseas Territory.
 
The PM has been accused of plotting to undo Brexit, as he sacrifices the hard-won sovereignty by deciding to pay billions to rejoin the EU’s Erasmus programme.
 
In May this year the PM transferred sovereignty of the Chagos Islands , held since 1814, to Mauritius. In 1965 the UK separated them from Mauritius, to form the British Indian Ocean Territory for use as a military UK/US base. Handing them over to Mauritius was an unnecessary act of complete madness which included risking the joint British and US military base, at the same time as giving Mauritius billions of the British public’s hard-earned cash. This amounts to £3.4 billion now and a further £101 million annually over the next 99 years.
 
What next? Will he be handing the Falkland Islands over to Argentina?
 
And finally, as Donald Trump appoints Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland in his bid to claim jurisdiction over this self-governing state which is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, it is becoming increasingly clear why he is so in awe of the warmonger Putin. Clearly Trump believes that if Putin can succeed in his war against Ukraine, in his bid to rape the country of its precious minerals, seaports and much else besides, then he too can succeed in his plan to do the same to Greenland.
 
Greenland is rich in critical minerals essential for green tech, especially Rare Earth Elements like neodymium and dysprosium. Also, lithium. graphite, nickel, titanium, and platinum group metals, alongside significant deposits of zinc, lead, gold, iron ore, and uranium. These so far untapped resources hold global strategic importance for diversifying supply chains away from current monopolies, particularly in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and electronics.
 
Let us hope Denmark , my mother’s homeland, stands firm and protects Greenland from this intended invasion. Unless of course the Greenlanders decide they wish their country to be plundered by bully boy Trump.
 
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, and all good wishes for a Happy and Healthy 2026.

Having spent the past week visiting friends in Scotland, I realise it is not just here in the south where the countryside is being covered by new developments of housing, solar panels and wind turbines. Having worked in Aberdeenshire in the late 1970s, it is shocking to see new towns and housing developments have sprung up, where previously there were farms and woodland.
 
The Highlands are spectacular, even at this time year. But, some of the roads crossing the mountain passes are hairy, particularly at night, in the pitch dark.
 
What is for sure is that there are still an awful lot of sheep in Scotland. The lowland hills and fields are full of them. Cattle too but clearly not quite so many. Who doesn’t love to see Highland cattle peering over a wall or from behind a bush. They certainly are very appealing.
 
Back in Sussex the weather seems similar. The drive down the west coast was relentlessly wet and windy. I wonder how the local reservoirs are doing; surely, they must be filling up by now.
 
The fiasco of the Budget has become something of a saga. I wonder if Rachel Reeves will eventually be hung out to dry by the PM as, surely, she should. There are plenty of politicians and commentators who will not let her ill-judged decision to lie to the house of Commons, and the British public go by unpunished.
 
She chose to shore up a nest egg for future use by over taxing the hard working while handing out these ill-gotten gains to ‘welfare’: those who have chosen not to work and have more children than they can afford. And, no doubt pay off public sector workers in her bid to placate the unions.
 
While all that was going on in the Chamber, the police were arresting innocent farmers. They regularly facilitate pro-Palestine marchers; the people supporting Hamas who murder, rape and behead babies, killing innocent young people, mothers and grandparents. Why do the police decide it is appropriate to arrest hard working farmers, who keep the country fed?
 
Talk about two-tier policing, you really couldn’t make this stuff up. The farmers are protesting against Labour’s policies which are threatening their very livelihoods, their properties and families. Much like the criminals who are currently running wild throughout the countryside, thieving, threatening and damaging livestock and property. All whilst the rural police stand by apparently unable or unwilling to intervene.
 
Rachel Reeves is just as dangerous as these thugs who are breaking into farms and businesses stealing valuable equipment, smashing buildings, and attacking anyone who tries to defend themselves and their property.
 
You can’t blame people for asking: What exactly is going on?
 
The Met insist their decisions are based on risk assessments, intelligence, and operational independence. But the public increasingly sees something else: politics dressed up as policing. Certain causes - progressive, internationalist, are treated with kid gloves. Others - traditional, rural, working, and unfashionable - are met with the full force of the state.
 
Farmers driving tractors to Parliament Square represents, to some officers and politicians, the “wrong” kind of dissent. Too self-reliant. Too unaligned with metropolitan opinion. Too willing to expose the failures of the political class. Meanwhile, mass-mobilised identity politics on London’s streets, no matter how disruptive, seems to enjoy a bizarre, protected status.
 
If the right to protest means anything, it must apply to everyone equally. Not because farmers are saints, and the marchers are sinners, but because the law cannot pick favourites.
If the police want to restore trust, here’s a good place to start: One rule. One standard. One law. For everyone.
 
At last, the government has recognised what a mistake it was for the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition, elected in 2010, to introduce Police and Crime Commissioners. They replaced the police authorities believing elected PCCs would make the police more accountable. It clearly has not, so the sooner they are abolished, the better.
 
Sussex got Katy Bourne which has not been a great success. Whatever the statistics say, the public will tell you that crime in the county has gone through the roof. Rural crime and petty crime including shop lifting, is out of control. Those carrying out these attacks are vicious and have no respect for other people’s property or businesses.
 
Sadly, the local police cannot cope, nor do they seem keen to do so. I recently questioned the Chief Constable about rural crime. She had given a talk claiming how successful Sussex police are at combating crime. Unfortunately, she was totally unmoved when I gave her details of recent rural and farm break ins on her patch. She dismissed my concerns and ignored my suggestions on how to support farmers in protecting their property and livelihoods.
 
How typical of the BBC to enable David Dimbleby to criticise The King and Royal family while presenting the new documentary series called What’s The Monarchy For? Mr Dimbleby, a well-known Republican who despises the monarchy, has been lauded as a distinguished figure within the corporation mainly because of his father, Richard Dimbleby.
 
Richard Dimbleby who died in December 1965 became the BBC’s first war correspondent. He was a famous figure known for his poetic commentary on major events like the late Queen’s coronation and Winston Churchill’s funeral.
 
David and his brother Jonathan followed their father into broadcasting, leaning heavily upon their father’s reputation and dulcet tones. Both capable, but not a patch on him.
​
Surely, David Dimbleby is hardly the most appropriate person to present this series. As has already been noted, he does not offer an unbiased view. I would say this is yet another example of the BBC getting it horribly wrong. Will it now devote similar airtime to broadcast an opposing view, in keeping with some idea of impartiality? I will not hold my breath. The BBC is today packed full to the rafters with left wing, woke individuals who are most probably of the same mindset as Dimbleby. The BBC has lost its voice which the public expect and used to trust. 

The cattle are now in for the winter;. November is later than they have been out at pasture, for several years. They are now cosy in the barn with plenty of straw beneath their feet and feeders full of soft meadow hay. They have done well on the herbal ley despite my misgivings; their weights are above average, so they have clearly had a good summer.
 
I have a few new butchers on the books, all vying for Ote Hall grass fed Sussex beef. It is encouraging to receive the telephone calls once their beast is safely hanging in their chill cabinets, voicing their delight at the top quality we produce. Our old customers are used to this quality which is why they come back for more. It takes a new customer to remind us just how special are these Sussex cattle.
 
80 years ago, Jewish families came to the UK having escaped the terrors of Hitler’s Nazi Germany and beyond. When they settled here, they said they felt they had arrived in heaven. A place where they felt safe and nurtured as they were welcomed into the heart of communities across the country.
 
But, what about today? Why have we allowed the UK to become a country where Jewish families no longer feel safe.  Why have we allowed the growing Islamisation of our towns and cities which have become overridden by people who do not share our culture, our beliefs, our patriotism, and standards? Many of whom clearly hate anyone not of their culture, particularly the Jews.
 
These people crush any objections from the indigenous British population. They poison the minds of disconnected extremists as well as the many hiding within communities, not forgetting those embedded within the BBC.
 
To hear the voices of veterans of the Second World War, including Alec Penstone, a 100-Year-old declaring that winning the War ‘wasn’t worth it’, was heart breaking.
 
As he wept for his fallen comrades, he said: ‘I can see in my mind’s eye those rows and rows of white headstones and all the hundreds of my friends who gave their lives. For what? The country of today? They died for nothing; it was not worth it. Look what our country has turned into. What we fought for was our freedom, but it’s a darn sight worse now than when I fought for it”. That was truly distressing to hear, but also shameful.
 
How could our politicians of all colours allow our country to become what it is today?
 
I recently attended a wonderful concert at Windsor Castle, hosted by The King to celebrate the Duke of Kent’s 90th birthday. I found myself sitting next to Caro Howell, the Director-General of the Imperial War Museum. She serves as head of the museum, responsible for its development, collections, and public funds.
 
I thought, perhaps somewhat unfairly in such surroundings, that this was my opportunity to question her about Lord Ashcroft’s Victoria Cross (VC) collection. It is the world’s largest, with over 200 VCs and a smaller number of George Crosses (GCs). The collection has been displayed in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum, but the exhibition was permanently closed in September.
 
I asked Caro to explain why such a unique collection - which has been housed in the gallery which Lord Ashcroft contributed £5m to set up - has now been returned to him. The collection of war medals was given to the Imperial War Museum on a 10-year loan agreement, which was extended by a further five years to 2025. Throughout the 15 years the medals were on display, along with the moving stories behind each one, they attracted huge visitor numbers.
 
The museum, instead of recognising what a wonderful lasting asset Lord Ashcroft’s collection was and granting it a permanent home, decided to close it down. It now hosts a new exhibition about post-World War II conflicts, such as the Cold War, Falklands, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The museum is also opening the “Unsilenced: Sexual Violence in Conflict” exhibition, which explores how propaganda shapes perception of gender and power.
 
I am sure this new exhibition is hugely interesting and honours those who have perished in these conflicts. But as I, and I know countless others before me, have made clear to Caro Howell, surely the Imperial War Museum should be the final resting place for Lord Ashcroft’s remarkable collection. This should be on permanent public display so each story behind these medals can be told to future generations, reminding them of times when duty, bravery and patriotism were natural instincts. A time when people like Alec Penstone went to war to defend our great nation, the Monarch, their families, and our freedom. Sadly, the Director-General was unmoved and unapologetic.
 
The BBC is clearly in trouble having been caught out editing Donald Trump’s speech making out that he instigated the storming of the capital. Heads have already rolled but probably not enough of them. Having listened to Nick Robinson, on the morning the story emerged, attempting to justify such blatant interference by the BBC, was nauseating. It really is time for this biased, self-opinionated presenter to be removed from the airwaves, along with his left-wing ideals and sneering put downs of anyone with whom he disagrees.
 
November 26th is drawing near. Speculation regarding what Reeves and Starmer have cooked up for us is reaching boiling point. Destruction appears to be their main aim, so no doubt the wrecking ball will be out on the day knocking the confidence of every businessman, farmer, taxpayer, and anyone who actually works for a living. Those whose lives depend entirely upon the state for welfare handouts will no doubt come away with yet more handouts and a smile on their faces knowing that the rest of us will be working longer and harder to support their ‘preferred’ way of life.

We have been blessed with the perfect autumn. Farmers have ploughed the fields and scattered the good seed on the ground. We have fed them and now the good Lord is gently watering them; the timing is perfect.
 
Will he send some snow in the winter, the warmth to swell the grain? And, then some soft, refreshing rain, breezes and sunshine in the spring to ensure we have a chance for a successful harvest next summer?
 
The orchards have been heaving with apples and pears, deep freezes are bursting with produce harvested from orchards, gardens and hedgerows.
 
Our young Sussex cattle are still out happily munching away on the late flush of grass which grew slowly during the spring and summer due to the drought but is now making up for delayed growth. They will stay out until they begin to poach the ground as it gets wetter. But, for now they are enjoying the last of their freedom before they come into the barn for the winter. The lush grass has little nutritional value, so it is supplemented with meadow hay to ensure they continue to thrive.
 
This week we have our annual TB test which is always a concern until we get the all- clear. I heard from a farmer friend this week that the farm in East Sussex, where he works, has been hit with salmonella which appears to have come from nowhere. They have lost a number of dairy cows and countless calves which have been aborted.
 
The milk yield is down, and they are unable to sell their young stock. The vets are baffled and have recommended inoculating the cows against salmonella, something I was unaware was possible. Each shot, of which they require at least two, costs over £6. As the herd is over five hundred strong, to date the cost to the farm is way over £100,000. I wonder if the general public, or the government for that matter, understand how events such this, and TB, are devastating and wipe out any possibility of making even the smallest profit.
 
It is a complete mystery as to why this labour government consistently diverts funding and support away from British farmers and small businesses which in many cases result in redundancies, forced sales and bankruptcy while at the same time, announcing new funding to boost overseas conservation projects.
 
They prefer to support communities and the environment in Bolivia, forests in St Helena and endangered eagles in the Philippines, than support the endangered family farms which are the backbone of our countryside and rural communities.
 
The families who run and manage these farms have decades of experience not only looking after the flora and fauna but also the wider environment, as well as producing food to feed the nation.
​
Of course, it is important to recognise the importance of these and many other overseas projects, but should our government prioritise these above ensuring the UK has enough food and, equally importantly, water to service the millions of additional homes they threaten to build on our green and pleasant land.
 
They keep bleating about climate change, which I am assured will remain unaffected by any amount of ‘net zero’ efforts introduced on our tiny island, a mere spec in the dirt compared to China, India, Russia, the deforestation of the Amazon and Indonesia, and other major industrialised nations.
 
So, why are we being penalised in this mad rush to ‘lead the way’. We are the laughingstock of the rest of the world. They think we are bonkers to put our country and businesses in jeopardy just so politicians can climb onto the stage at future COP gatherings, preening themselves while the country is going to the dogs.

We have been blessed with the perfect autumn. Farmers have ploughed the fields and scattered the good seed on the ground. We have fed them and now the good Lord is gently watering them; the timing is perfect.
 
Will he send some snow in the winter, the warmth to swell the grain? And, then some soft, refreshing rain, breezes and sunshine in the spring to ensure we have a chance for a successful harvest next summer?
 
The orchards have been heaving with apples and pears, deep freezes are bursting with produce harvested from orchards, gardens and hedgerows.
 
Our young Sussex cattle are still out happily munching away on the late flush of grass which grew slowly during the spring and summer due to the drought but is now making up for delayed growth. They will stay out until they begin to poach the ground as it gets wetter. But, for now they are enjoying the last of their freedom before they come into the barn for the winter. The lush grass has little nutritional value, so it is supplemented with meadow hay to ensure they continue to thrive.
 
This week we have our annual TB test which is always a concern until we get the all- clear. I heard from a farmer friend this week that the farm in East Sussex, where he works, has been hit with salmonella which appears to have come from nowhere. They have lost a number of dairy cows and countless calves which have been aborted.
 
The milk yield is down, and they are unable to sell their young stock. The vets are baffled and have recommended inoculating the cows against salmonella, something I was unaware was possible. Each shot, of which they require at least two, costs over £6. As the herd is over five hundred strong, to date the cost to the farm is way over £100,000. I wonder if the general public, or the government for that matter, understand how events such this, and TB, are devastating and wipe out any possibility of making even the smallest profit.
 
It is a complete mystery as to why this labour government consistently diverts funding and support away from British farmers and small businesses which in many cases result in redundancies, forced sales and bankruptcy while at the same time, announcing new funding to boost overseas conservation projects.
 
They prefer to support communities and the environment in Bolivia, forests in St Helena and endangered eagles in the Philippines, than support the endangered family farms which are the backbone of our countryside and rural communities.
 
The families who run and manage these farms have decades of experience not only looking after the flora and fauna but also the wider environment, as well as producing food to feed the nation.
​
Of course, it is important to recognise the importance of these and many other overseas projects, but should our government prioritise these above ensuring the UK has enough food and, equally importantly, water to service the millions of additional homes they threaten to build on our green and pleasant land.
 
They keep bleating about climate change, which I am assured will remain unaffected by any amount of ‘net zero’ efforts introduced on our tiny island, a mere spec in the dirt compared to China, India, Russia, the deforestation of the Amazon and Indonesia, and other major industrialised nations.
 
So, why are we being penalised in this mad rush to ‘lead the way’. We are the laughingstock of the rest of the world. They think we are bonkers to put our country and businesses in jeopardy just so politicians can climb onto the stage at future COP gatherings, preening themselves while the country is going to the dogs.

It is the season of ploughing matches and party conferences. I am a big fan of the former but not the latter which I have successfully managed to avoid even when immersed in politics during times gone by.
 
I have never understood the point of these gatherings other than for party leaders and key players to preen themselves amongst the party faithful. The posturing, pointless speeches, and as we saw last week when Keir Starmer delivered his ‘keynote’ speech, the spouting plenty of nonsense, including the vile and abusive language he and his deputy directed towards Reform and Nigel Farage.
 
In comparison ploughing matches embrace the heart of rural life, championing the good people who have for generations nurtured the precious soil we so depend upon to grow the food we rely upon to feed the nation.
 
The competitors whose ages ranged from 80s to mid-teens who took part in the Hurstpierpoint & District Ploughing Match which we hosted last weekend, are the crème de la crème of the farming world. We were blessed with fine weather. There was some very fine ploughing, interesting trade stands, and a surprisingly large number of members of the public. Many had walked from Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, and surrounding villages.  Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the occasion.
 
The event was prepared, beautifully run and then at the end of the day cleared away, leaving the fields spotless, by the chairman and his small army of dedicated volunteers of all sorts. The fields have now been worked into a seed bed and planted with grass seeds including a mix of wildflowers, just in time for the rain which was well timed.
 
Whose idea was it to include Tony Blair in the efforts to bring peace and stability to Gazza? He has clearly promoted himself for his own agenda, just as he is apparently promoting ID cards which will no doubt benefit Tony Blair some way along the line.
 
His incompetent track record in the Middle East is chronic, and we know the man is a charlatan, so I am surprised President Tump has allowed him within a hundred miles of the White House. Even the dodgy Jeremy Corbyn said he wouldn’t consider electing Blair to be a dog catcher. Not that Corbyn who considers Hamas to be “an organisation dedicated towards the good of the Palestinian people”, and that the British government’s labelling of Hamas as a terrorist organisation “is a big, big historical mistake”, has much to crow about.
 
The devastating attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur, brought Keir Starmer out onto the airwaves with his crocodile tears, doing his best to sound sincere. He gave not a single word of apology for having given the green light for such an attack, despite only recently having rewarded Hamas by recognising Palestine, despite its ferocious attack on Isreal two years ago when they raped and beheaded women children and babies, killing 1,200, before taking 251 hostages.
 
Anti-Semitism has been escalating in the UK over several decades. That escalation has spiked as hordes of legal and illegal Muslim immigrants have moved into our towns and cities, gradually taking over key positions within our governing institutions. Just how many of these towns and cities have Muslim mayors and councillors?
 
Just about every community has a mosque, prayer room, or use of a hired hall; there are around 1,858 mosques at the last time of counting. Some imams preach hatred, some encourage their followers to carry out acts of terrorism, and if they don’t personally, they certainly do not attempt to control the extremists in their congregations.
 
These mayors do not represent ‘the people’, they represent their Muslim communities. Just watch how Sadiq Khan is behaving in London as he ignores questions from Susan Hall who asked him how many grooming gangs who rape and trade young white children for sex are within his city. Khan repeatedly chose to ignore the question as he goaded Mrs Hall into calling them Muslim gangs so he could call her a racist. May he be forgiven.
 
The last time I raised these matters was following the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017. Later I was branded a racist and suspended as chairman and president of the Lewes Constituency Conservative Association at the time Theresa May attempted to scupper Brexit in 2019 after her Chequers weekend. My column was brought to light by some over enthusiastic journalist who sent a copy to Brandon Lewis the chairman of the Conservative party. Nothing could have been further from the truth, I care not what people’s skin colour is, or who they pray to, what I do care passionately about is, what they do and how they behave.
 
At the time I resigned from the party in disgust, my words were not racist, I told it as it was. My only crime being that when I quoted the local imam in Rochdale, I didn’t use quotation marks! What ever happened to free speech?
 
More recently I have resigned once again. This time my list of complaints regarding the history, current direction and recent underhand manner Central office handled the election for the conservative candidate standing for Sussex Mayor in 2026, being the final straw. A sad day: the party is not and has not been for some while the Conservative party is used to be and should be.

​

As we closed the gate on the final field of combinable crops, there was a sense of relief. All our crops are safely in the barns, but we shall not dwell on the fact they are not exactly bursting at the seams.
 
Another year gone and onto the next. Most fields are prepared for drilling next year’s crops. Let us hope all the costs and effort entailed will be rewarded; it certainly hasn’t been this year.

Times are changing just like the weather pattern, so we must change our routines and cropping. What we can’t do is doggedly push water uphill whilst telling ourselves that we have always done things this way and so shall continue in the same vein.
 
So, we have less arable crops and more grass, herbal leys, and winter bird seed crops. This latter crop has looked splendid with flowers of many colours including sunflowers which were spectacular when in full bloom. Many bunches found their way into the house as we celebrated my grandson’s christening.
 
Sunflowers make me smile and clearly, they have the same effect upon others as they lighten the mood. We journeyed to our beautiful Norman church which nestles in the heart of the farm, across the fields. A bunch of kids and some adults were bundled into the back of our ancient pickup. There was much laughter and gaiety as we proceeded across fields and down Cow Lane, (along which as a child I walked our dairy cows in for milking), to where we ended up in the field adjacent to the churchyard.
 
I think Father Christopher was somewhat surprised as they all piled out and skipped up the path, past my parent’s grave, and into the church, where he kindly conducted a very special christening service.
 
At last, the true character of Peter Mandelson and his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein have been exposed. Not only is the man dodgy, but he is also shown to be somewhat grubby. He and his mentor Tony Blair, another Champaign socialist, are the very worst type of labour politicians. It is all about ‘do as I say, not as I do’. They wrap themselves in a silver lining giving off an aura of being competent and important as they fill their gold lined coffers, whilst pulling the wool over the public’s eyes.
 
So too has Keir Starmer been exposed as being incompetent, dishonest and a very poor judge of character or understanding of the level of openness and decency expected by the public. Starmer really does believe everyone outside his immediate circle of left-wing activists, are halfwits unable to recognise when there is a fox in the hen house. Angela Raynor was a prime case and keep your eye on Rachel Reeves who is doing her best to completely screw up the economy. 
 
It’s all about to get worse: the growing black hole in Reeves’s public finances mean that another round of crippling tax rises is a certainty in the Budget. They will further dampen what is left of Britain’s traditional spirit, and threaten a doom loop of higher tax, lower growth, even higher tax and so on.
 
Let us hope they and all those who have knowingly supported these people who have done all they can to undermine Great Britain financially, and militarily, and by destroying our industries, our energy providers, employment opportunities,  and by leaving the door wide open to encourage the invasion of dangerous Muslim young men.
 
They come from countries which have no affiliation to Great Britain or our Christian culture. They disappear below the radar as have millions over the past 20 years. They are abiding their time and will invariably strike when they are directed to do so by their masters. They are arriving illegally and should be collected up off the beaches and ports and transported directly back to their last port of call. No ifs or buts.
 
The steady flow of conservative MPs, former MPs and members walking away from the Tory party towards Reform is gathering pace. They are not leaving the conservative party; it has left them as it increasingly leans to the left, opposes free speech, becomes increasingly woke and is deeply fractured below the water line.
 
Central Office is up to its old tricks of undermining local associations and ignoring the advice from those with their feet on the ground who know the facts, know the individuals, and are better at identifying the best candidates to take on the opposition at elections.
 
The underhand way Central Office recently interfered with the election to select the conservative candidate to stand in next year’s election for Mayor of Sussex, was as far as I am concerned the final straw. Backing a candidate with a poor record of service and who supported Sussex police’s policy of allowing trans men to strip search young girls and women, was totally irresponsible and unacceptable.
 

I really have tried to find some silver linings amongst the daily news grinding across the airwaves or in the pages of newspapers, these past months. I rarely plan the negativity and criticism which looking back over the past year, have repeatedly jumped out from my columns.
 
It is increasingly clear that in today’s world, if we want to find joy, security, and comfort, we should look no further than beyond our families, close friends, work colleagues, and acquaintances. We should be directing all our energies, focus and efforts towards ensuring we can protect them as far as is possible.
 
We need to be motivated to see a positive future somewhere amongst the noise, chaos, shambles and aggression directed currently towards all that is good, British, wholesome, and yes, traditional and patriotic about our wonderful country.
 
There is a feeling of doom and gloom; it matters not whom one talks to. Fellow farmers, our wonderful dustmen, shop keepers, builders, mothers, care workers and city slickers, they all tell the same story. They are deeply concerned for their futures and that of their children and grandchildren.
 
So, where do we find the happy, cheerful stories? I think we look closer to home amongst our communities which as so often happens during times of trouble and uncertainly, pull together, watch each other’s backs, and perhaps quietly prepare for the worst.
 
Our summer has been full of challenges but also full of joy. Sunny days, and family descending upon Ote Hall from distant shores with the sound of children enjoying the open spaces and being able to run and play, swim, ride and become reacquainted with the beauty of our family home.
 
Days have extended into balmy evenings sitting and chatting whilst enjoying the glorious sun sets, day after day. All reassuring and precious moments whilst outside our immediate boundaries the world is increasingly dangerous, unpredictable, and very unstable.
 
And so, as the summer gently moves into autumn, we must be grateful for the special times we have had these past months, including birthdays, christenings, weddings, gatherings of friends but also saying goodbye to those who have slipped away as their time came, always too soon. Such memories are full of purpose, love and great affection, all imprinted upon our hearts.
 
And so to farming, that has been our greatest challenge, but we must look forward with optimism and hope that the following twelve months maybe a bit kinder. All we really want is to have the right weather at the right time. I could add that we would also appreciate a fair price for the produce which we grow or rear. To be fair livestock, beef and lamb, have made reasonable returns, but this has been reflected in the exorbitant prices we have paid for store cattle which very nearly broke the bank.
 
Ote Hall is hosting the Hurstpierpoint & District Ploughing Match on Sunday 28th September, something we have not done for some while. If the ground conditions are good, it will be a huge success, if they are challenging, I know the very experienced Match committee and volunteers, will ensure things go to plan and it will be a memorable day.
 
The winter was too wet, the spring too dry, resulting in a terribly disappointing harvest for many, which we have yet to complete as we await the delayed ripening of the spring beans. Hopefully, we find a window between the rain showers next week when we can finally combine this crop.
 
I am told that some of our neighbours have had bumper yields – recording more than 5t per acre. I find that quite extraordinary, but it goes without saying, they are clearly much better farmers than I am.
 
It is deeply concerning that Jonathan Powell, Tony Blair’s former chief of staff, was appointed by Starmer as Britain’s National Security Adviser. It was Powell who secretly brokered the deal whereby Britain agreed to hand over £101million annually to Mauritius for 99 years in return for a lease on a base in the Chagos Islands. A previous administration had already secured a deal of £3million back in 1968. He is also fanatically anti-Brexit, and no doubt he is persuasively dripping his pro-EU propaganda into the Prime Minister’s receptive ear.
 
Jonathan Powell is currently in the news due to accusations that he is running a secret diplomatic back channel to terrorists and other dodgy characters using his own taxpayer-funded team of nameless operatives from Inter Mediate. A few years after he left Blair’s No 10, Powell founded this outfit, whose website says its mission is ‘to advance political solutions toward a more peaceful and secure world’. So far, despite receiving funding from the Foreign Office, this organisation has failed to make any progress in this field. Despite working with David Lammy as he tried to secure meetings in Syria, things have not gone to plan.
 
Powel is classified as a ‘special adviser’, which means he does not have to answer to Parliament even though he deals directly with foreign governments. This unaccountability no doubt suits him perfectly as he and his chum Peter Mandelson, to whom Blair gave unprecedented powers to issue orders to civil servants, still slither about in the shadows, seldom having to give explanations for their actions, still less having to justify them.
 
Both Powell and Mandelson are noted for being far more experienced, intelligent and well informed than David Lammy – as well as most of those on Labour’s front bench. Well, no surprise there.
 
It is clearly wrong that Starmer appointed Powell allowing him and the company he founded to play a mysterious, unofficial role in British foreign policy, possibly connecting the Foreign Office with some very dubious people. As columnist Stephen Glover has said, more than anyone in modern politics, Powell has succeeded in wielding power without accountability and has been allowed to get away with it. A fundamental maxim of democracy is that public figures should answer for their actions – and it is high time Jonathan Powell was made to do so.

Farming is full of its ups and downs. This week we had a serious down. Having mentioned previously our Sussex yearling’s determination to eat anything but the herbal ley, I failed to anticipate the possible consequences following what has been over the past few weeks, the most amount of rain we have had all summer.
 
The effect on the herbal ley has been marked. The crop became lush, the clover, and some of the herbs which have largely remained fairly dormant have grown more vigorously and clearly became more palatable.
 
Early on Thursday morning I found one of these beautiful Sussex steers dead, clearly bloated. Over the previous twelve hours he must have overindulged, become bloated in his abdomen which if not treated swiftly leads to rapid death; an utter tragedy. It shows how quickly circumstances can change; another example where timing and the weather play a significant role.
 
Farming, whether it’s the crops or livestock are pretty much reliant on both, and of course the farmer who in this case took her eye off the ball. I thought I had done my research on herbal leys, but I didn’t see that one coming down the line.

We have now changed their routine by restricting access to the crop and introduced hay into their diet. Another painful lesson learnt - RIP UK400808.
 
I wonder if anyone noticed the average age of the farmers who drove their tractors into London and other cities protesting against Rachel Reeves’ decision to ensure small family farms, many of which have been farmed by the same family for generations, which will probably not survive this change in policy.
 
Farmers are very professional, highly educated and experienced and deeply worried about their futures. They were not all, as we are repeatedly told, about the average age of ‘famers’ in the UK all over 60. Those young farmers who went to protest are the most passionate and vocal and continue to defend their chosen profession. Yes, they may not yet actually own the land they are actively farming but all are ready to take on that responsibility to manage, when the time comes.
 
Unlike most professions, farmers tend not to retire, we carry on doing what we have always done, perhaps a bit slower! We encourage and pass on invaluable information and knowledge whilst encouraging the younger generations to take over, embrace change, innovate and plan their futures as they appreciate the complex and challenging nature of farming businesses.
 
Those of us in the upper age range, don’t retire from active farming. Our plan is to slip away in due course whilst out checking our livestock, in our wellies and with our loyal dogs at our side.
 
Behind the dodgy statistics so enthusiastically spouted by left-wing academics and politicians so keen to unpick the very glue which holds our rural communities and traditional family farms together, is an agenda. We can clearly see that this government which is speeding up this process as if on steroids, is planning our demise through land nationalisation by the back door.
 
They choose not to understand that family farms with their intergenerational workforce and deep knowledge of their land, flora, and fauna, sometimes going back centuries but certainly generations, understand how important sustainable British food production is whilst caring for the environment. We cut the hedges, dig out the ditches, clear water courses and manage our ancient woodland. We also really care and appreciate the soil we farm. Not something which mega corporate farming takes on board.
 
So, look around you, see the many ‘young’ farmers in your area. They range from late teens to mid to late forties and then if you must, call them middle aged. Those who watch Clarkson’s Farm will note the most capable, efficient, and active on the team are Kaleb (27) and Harriet (24). Most family farms have their equivalent, a fact which should be acknowledged, celebrated and appreciated.
 
Last week saw the final campaign with the four candidates competing to become the conservative candidate for next year’s Mayor of Sussex election making their case. Having attended the hustings at West Hove golf course last Tuesday and seen and heard from each, it is perfectly clear that Tim Loughton stands out as the only one who would have a chance of winning against the other parties in May 2026.
 
Sally-Ann Hart has enthusiasm but limited experience having been an MP for just five years. Paul Marshall was charming but lacked confidence and was clearly out of his depth. Katy Bourne as ever talks the talk but her record as Police and Crime Commissioner, her over confidence in her ability and popularity, do not stand up to scrutiny.
 
Sussex needs a strong, experienced, capable Mayor. The role which will lead the newly created single strategic authority for Sussex and Brighton is huge and wide ranging. Tim Loughton’s 27 years as MP for the marginal West Sussex seat of East Worthing & Shoreham, during which he held ministerial posts, was a front bench spokesman and dealt with national matters and government departments, puts him head and shoulders above the others.  None of whom I believe would stand a chance of being elected as mayor next year.
 
If you are a member of the conservative party, care about our county and have yet to vote, the poll remains open until July 30th. .Tim Loughton will be a safe pair of hands. He was born in Eastbourne, grew up in Alfriston and went to school in Lewes, he is all about Sussex and the people of Sussex.

The countryside is awash with bugs, bees, wasps and butterflies of many shapes, colours, and sizes. The question is, is this increase due to the weather this year or because of the changes we and others have made to our farming practises. Whatever the reason, it is good to see all these creatures busily pollinating frantically as they search for fresh nectar or targeting prey.
 
Likewise, the bird population is also increasing. This joy  to see them is tempered by the over population of rooks, crows and magpies which are attracted by the myriads of tiny garden birds such as sparrows, tits all kinds, swifts, and swallows on which they regularly dine.
 
It seems that memories are short when it comes to recalling the source of much of today’s troubles in the NHS. I think someone should remind the minister, Wes Streeting who is currently in charge and appears to be completely out of his depth. He is clearly ill informed and in denial but should understand just when the root of today’s many problems set in.
 
Between 1997 and 2007 almost 32,000 NHS hospital beds were cut. One year more than 40 per cent of maternity units turned away women in labour and some 60 local hospitals closed or lost their accident and emergency or maternity services. We should recall the many Save Our Hospital campaigns which sprang up across the country, including at the Princess Royal in Haywards Heath.  All of this under Tony Blair’s watch, when he said he would transform the NHS. He certainly did that!
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During the same decade when the number of beds were cut, death rates from infections MRSA and Clostridium difficile rose five-fold. Investigations into the biggest C. diff outbreak in Britain, which killed 90 patients at hospitals run by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells trust in 2005 and 2006, found that overcrowding amid pressure to meet hospital waiting targets, due to a lack of beds and doctors, was a factor behind the infection’s spread.
 
It takes ten to fourteen years to train a doctor. During the Blair years doctors were leaving the country in droves when they were told they were superfluous to requirements.
 
Today the NHS has set targets to reach net zero emissions from its own activities by 2040 – 10 years ahead of the national target. This ambition at a cost to the very patients who rely upon it to keep them healthy and in many cases alive.
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As the NHS is once again in crises with more than 7m people stuck on waiting lists and financial pressures rising, this is clearly bonkers.
 
Hospitals, GP surgeries, suppliers of medicines and medical equipment are being told they must hit net zero by 2045, if they want to keep working for the health service.
 
By 2027 all NHS suppliers must report their emissions publicly. Instead of concentrating their efforts on improving waiting lists or the tens of thousands who wait more than three days in A&E each year, the government has decided to concentrate instead on achieving net zero for the NHS by 2040 and their suppliers by 2045. These targets will increase costs for most suppliers, which in turn will escalate costs for the NHS.
 
None of this will help the patients of staff. Neither will it have the slightest effect upon climate change, so why on earth have these ridiculous targets been imposed.
 
Can you imagine the outcry which would erupt if Bull Fighting was ever introduced in Great Britain. This is the season of the running of the bulls at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona from July 6th to 14th , and bullfights. Other bullfighting events and festivals take place throughout the year across Spain, such as Seville, Madrid, Valencia and Malaga.
 
The Spanish are clearly a blood thirsty nation, and it could be said this barbaric so-called sport, is their ‘heritage’.  But surely the time has come to call a halt to this cruel spectacle.
 
While Spain doesn't have a direct equivalent of the RSPCA specifically focused on stopping bullfighting, there are animal welfare organizations and legal frameworks in place that address animal cruelty, though clearly not always effectively in the context of bullfighting. It is still legal in most parts of Spain, except for the Canary Islands and Catalonia, where it was banned but later overturned by the Constitutional Court. Perhaps our over eager animal rights activists could take a trip to Spain and do something useful over there.

We and countless others have been busily making hay while the sun shines. At last Mother Nature appears to be on side, hopefully making up for the challenging wet winter and spring drought.
 
The young steers continue to protest as they are moved to yet another field of delicious herbal ley which they still don’t appreciate. I hope they will eventually get used to it and tuck in as they are supposed to.
 
It looks like the combines will soon be rolling as crops turn golden, but I fear the yields will be disappointing due to the lack of rain at the right time.
 
I am truly shocked to read in the national press that Sussex Police along with four other police forces and the British Transport Police, until recently allowed trans (male) officers to strip search girls and women. Why anyone considers it acceptable that a man who decides to change his pronouns, is a suitable individual to strip search young girls and women, is beyond comprehension.
 
Fortunately, due to the legal advice following the Supreme Court ruling which found that sex is biological under the Equality Act, these police forces have been made to reverse this practise.
 
Considering Sussex has a female Police and Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne, and Chief Constable, it is hard to understand why this was ever allowed. It is not good enough to suggest the leadership was unwilling to offend the trans community. This is unacceptable, an outrage.
 
It has also been reported that Sussex Police scrapped warrant cards that identified officers as male or female but instead labelled males with letters A or C and female officers with B or D in November last year. The move prompted complaints that it would make it harder to find a female officer to carry out duties only a woman could do - such as searching a female suspect. Let us hope this too has been scrapped.
 
The force was subject to ridicule in 2017 after a sergeant warned high street stores that “feminine care” signs on women’s sanitary products breached gender equality rules.
 
It is time to scrap Police and Crime Commissioners; I never thought they were a good idea; I am on record for saying so. Katy Bourne who has held this post since 2012, is now seeking to be the conservative candidate to take on the role of Mayor of Sussex. I would suggest these inappropriate decisions taken under her management, make her unsuitable for this important position.
 
The current heat which we are experiencing has caused the authorities to publish advice on how to keep cool and healthy, reminds us that our forefathers knew how to build homes which coped well with both the summer heat and cold winters.
 
Those of us fortunate enough to live in old houses have the advantage of a home which keeps cool in these conditions and cosy during the winter. These houses breath, they allow the air to flow.
 
We can only feel for those living in modern buildings which have been built to conform with modern planning regulations, invented by environmentalists and people who believe the climate will remain constantly moderate; never too hot or too cold.
 
These hermetically sealed boxes circulate toxins from plastics, cleaning fluid, electrical impulses, and harmful radiation coming from the screens of mobile phones, laptops and other gadgets which cannot escape and are harmful and detrimental to our health, particularly young children and babies.
 
Those of us who have resisted sealing up the roof and filling in the cavity walls of our old buildings allowing fresh air to circulate are at an advantage. Modern buildings will be like ovens during this heatwave.
 
I wonder when governments, environmentalists, planners, and architects will recognise the damage they are inflicting upon our population. Creating hermetically sealed boxes to ‘save the planet’, is causing huge damage to the health of the nation as they breath in toxic fumes, dust, and chemicals. If the NHS is struggling now, God help it in years to come.

The crops benefitted from the recent rain, which was most welcome, but we badly need more. The spring beans and barley are looking less parched, but I fear the weeks of drought will be reflected in the yield at harvest.
 
We are now fighting natures little and not so little critters. For the past few years, we have had a growing problem with moths. They are now rampant throughout the house despite all efforts to exterminate them with smoke bombs, sticky backed traps, steam cleaning, and placing rugs and clothes out on the lawns on hot sunny days, as my mother used to do.
 
Our carpets are now thread bare, clothes have holes the size of 50p pieces and there is a general air of hopelessness as all our efforts result in an escalating number of moths.
 
Outside in the garden which should by now be full of colour with roses, geraniums, and other annuals, it is a sea of green. Not a single rose bud has survived and all the wonderful geraniums which filled the pots and beds around the house have been decapitated, many pulled out and strewn across the lawns. The deer are back with a vengeance; we have never suffered so much destruction.
 
We are hosting the Church Fete this coming weekend and have a few weddings and other events through the summer. Visitors are going to be deeply disappointed by the lack of colour, despite all the pruning, spraying, feeding, and watering.
 
We have tried the usual preventative methods, scary objects and paraffin which used to keep them at bay. Latterly I have hung creosote-soaked rags amongst the roses which I am hoping is working.  Matthew has spent a number of evenings and early mornings out with his rifle, but was hampered by the many footpaths; getting a ‘safe shot’, is far from easy.
 
I have also set off rope bangers in the garden, which made us all jump as they went off but whether they kept the deer away for long I am not entirely sure. They will no doubt annoy the neighbours for which I apologies, but in our desperation to drive these vandals away, we will try anything.
 
My story about our young Sussex steers hating the herbal leys caused a flurry of comments from my farming friends who found this interesting and baffling. To follow up; we decided to cut a couple of fields for hay as they had grown too tall to graze. This we fed to the fat cattle still in the yard. They went mad for it and got through the bales in record time. When we weighed them yesterday, they had put on an average of 50-63kg in just four weeks. Now that is a result. We have taken samples to see if a dose of sodium or other trace elements are needed to improve its palatability.
 
There are rumours the chancellor will shortly be receiving her P45 as the PM moves her out of No 11, and not a moment too soon. Since her first budget last October, the Bank of England has downgraded its economic forecast for this year from 1.5 per cent to 0.7 per cent, and the office of Budget Responsibility cut its growth estimate in half, from 2 per cent to 1 per cent.
 
In April, inflation jumped back up to 3.5 per cent (way above the 2 per cent target). In May manufacturing suffered the sharpest drop in new orders in 19 months and unemployment is up 10 per cent since Labour won the GE last July.
 
Rachel Reeves’s record-breaking £40 billion tax raid has been blamed for Britain’s leading business group cutting its growth forecasts for this year and the next.
 
We have another four years of this financial incompetence along with Labour’s record of disastrous decisions on: the Chagos Islands, Gibraltar, the EU, repeated attacks upon the farming industry, delays to prosecute the Pakistani Muslim grooming gangs, and now voting to allow the termination of full-term babies while still in their mother’s wombs. These are just a few examples of the damage this government has already wreaked upon the very fabric of our once Great country in just eleven months. With their huge majority in the House of Commons there is nothing to stop these people destroying what is left before the next General Election. 

I am so grateful to all my chums who instead of spending their evenings relaxing under the shade of a handy tree with a glass of something refreshing, have, no doubt much to the surprise of their family, dogs and neighbours, been doing their best to impress the Rain Gods, Mother Nature or whoever else is in charge of precipitation, with their rendition of a Rain Dance. Well, congratulations and Thank You it worked.
 
The spring crops were on their last legs and looking decidedly exhausted as they battled to stay alive as they searched in vain for moisture in the parched earth. Well, here’s hoping this is not too little too late and they will now blossom forth and make a magical recovery.
 
It would seem the Gods have not been shining so favourably on Ed Miliband. Nor for that matter has the press. The man is either a genius which I doubt or, with the deepest respect and I say this advisedly and quote, “a complete moron”. His mad Helter Skelter towards Net Zero, and to hell with the consequences, endangers the future of UK energy provision and leaves us reliant on a fragile and targetable electricity supply.
 
BP is in the throes of cancelling its Teesside hydrogen project which was at the heart of Miliband’s net zero plans. They were set to produce “blue” hydrogen from natural gas and then capture and store the carbon emissions. It was to deliver more than 10pc of the 2030 target set by Miliband for hydrogen production and was expected to come online by the late 2020s.
 
It is reported that BP is now likely to scale back or indeed cancel the 1.2-gigawatt project as the FTSE 100 company struggles to secure enough customers to make the investment worthwhile.

BP is however pressing ahead with the separate Net Zero Teesside Power scheme. This will see it build a flexible gas-fired power plant equipped with carbon capture technology. The outcome and viability of these projects will be worth keeping an eye on.
 
It must be disappointing when a well-loved view becomes obscured by a new housing development or Leylandii trees turning a once stunning rural view with lambs skipping around in the spring, to be blocked by a red brick building planted outside your bedroom window.
 
We have all seen reports of the new phenomenon which is emerging around our shores which are becoming increasingly overcrowded with wind turbines. It is not the view that is being taken but the wind. We read headlines such as, “Wind farms fight over the North Sea breeze”. Wind farms across the North Sea are having to deal with a situation described as the “wake effect” as the wind is literally being taken out of their sails.
 
This intriguing situation is threatening to cost companies such as Orsted, RWE, Scottish Power, Total and Equinor billions of pounds. They are apparently waging war in the planning system over who will take precedence and who picks up the bill.
 
Industry insiders have coined a term for it: wind theft.
 
Ed Miliband is deeply concerned that it risks creating unhelpful turbulence as he seeks to steer the country towards his goal of net zero by 2030 and beyond. He has commissioned a national study led by Manchester University on how to prevent or resolve these disputes.
 
Off the coast of Europe Belgium is being blamed for stealing wind from the Dutch, and the Dutch are being blamed for taking wind from Germany. You really couldn’t make this stuff up.

The problem is getting worse as there is limited seabed that is suitable for fixed wind turbines, and these are getting bigger. A typical turbine was around 200 metres tall but now turbines are being built in Brandenberg, Germany, which can reach as high as 364 metres – higher than London’s Shard.
 
The financial consequences are said to be disastrous. Orsted and Equinor complained that Total’s proposed Outer Dowsing wind farm off the Yorkshire coast could cost them a combined £363m in lost revenue. These situations are popping up all round our coast, including in the Irish Sea.
 
Ross Clark in the Daily Mail has brought to our attention that Starmer is pushing ahead with the £10billion AI data centres on the Northumberland coast. This data centre project, given planning permission in March and with Blackstone’s £10billion investment, is part of the PM’s plan for Britain to become a world leader in AI.
 
This is most commendable; however, data centres consume huge quantities of electricity. ChatGPT for example is estimated to use up to ten times more power than a Google search. It is also estimated that the site could emit more carbon dioxide than Birmingham Airport.
 
At a time when the building of new wind and solar farms has failed to keep pace with the closure of coal-fired power stations, such projects clearly have a problem, effecting the whole country. Our national grid was designed around large power stations in the Midlands. Wind and solar farms are far more dispersed and lie some distance from population centres where most power is consumed.
 
Now is the time to gear up the production of SMRs (small modular reactors) a quick and affordable source of low-carbon electricity. The talking must stop, licenses must be given to Rolls Royce, now.
 
What will our little island look like in years to come. The coastline will be encircled by wind turbines and our green and pleasant land covered in solar panels. Our roads will be clogged up by abandoned electric driverless vehicles with flat batteries. Raving AI ‘driver’ robots will die, and many EV vehicles catch fire. Already the number of EV fires have increased by 77 per cent over the past two years. These are more dangerous than petrol or diesel car fires as they are very hard to extinguish.
 
Our cities will grind to a halt as rogue states target our power supplies, and as everything is heading in the direction of the total dependency on electricity, nothing will work.
 
This includes the computers which direct the traffic, trains, airports, sewage, food distribution, hospitals, crematoriums, satellite systems, mobile phones, internet and so much besides. Is this the future the British public envisaged when they put their trust in government? There will riots and looting, and blood shed with everyone out for themselves.
 
This scenario is not a case of if but when. It is people such as Ed Miliband with his crack pot ideas of net zero without any understanding of the consequences, who are driving this forward in their blinkered madness.
 
His decision to close and cap our oil reserves, close coal mines and destroy coal fired power stations borders on criminal. Gloat as he abandons fracking and cheers from the sidelines as Cumbria’s Whitehaven coal mine lost its battle to provide coking coal for our fragile steel industry.
 
I quote, ‘the £165M underground metallurgical coal mine had been granted planning permission in December 2022 by the then secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities, Michael Gove.
 
But planning consent for the mine was quashed in the High Court last September after Gove’s decision was challenged by Friends of the Earth (FOTE) and South Lakes Action on Climate Change (SLACC) on environmental grounds.
 
The mine’s future has been in doubt since Keir Starmer’s Labour government, egged on by Ed Miliband, announced that it would not be defending Gove’s decision to grant planning permission. It said that planning permission had been unlawfully granted and withdrew its defence of the mine.
 
The UK government has since announced that new coal mining licences are set to be banned in the UK, making it the first Group of Seven (G7) country to ban coal mining.’
 
How utterly irresponsible; this will prevent future generations from achieving as a nation, energy production which previous generations benefitted from.
 
It is easy and tempting to criticise the actions of governments and ministers particularly when those actions effect the future of the country and all its citizens, whatever their colour. My deep concern and that of so many others is that this mad dash to net zero is being driven by politicians and their ideology and environmentalists who would prefer to see the country grind to a halt and descend into chaos, unable to defend our borders, feed the population or generally function. When will the grownups with practical and unblinkered solutions, enter the room? Time is running out.

It is agonising watching crops withering in the fields due to the lack of rain. The April showers failed to materialise, and May is not much better. We had one useful downpour two weeks ago, since when nothing.
 
Half our winter barley failed due to sitting in waterlogged fields which we replaced with spring barley, rather against my better judgment. All too often we face drought conditions in this part of the country in the spring but one needs to have faith in mother nature and hope she doesn’t bowl us a second whammy and kill off two crops.
 
In hindsight I should have sat on my hands and done nothing. Unless we get some decent rain in the next few days, we shall have little to sell to the grain merchants this coming autumn.
 
On a positive note, the herbal leys are growing splendidly. In fact, we are in danger of being overwhelmed with too much grazing. I only wish the Sussex steers liked it; they don’t they hate it and do their best to find alternative nourishment as they rummage in the hedges and ditches. They have reduced the headland to bare earth and look longingly over the gate into the adjoining field,  grass destined for hay.
 
They do occasionally venture out into the herbal ley and gingerly wrap their tongues around a few blades of grass which they carefully pick from amongst the red and white clover, Sheep’s parsley high in iron and vitamins A & C, high protein Lucerne, Birdsfoot Trefoil with its non-bloating qualities. There is also Chicory which offers a range of health benefits, including support for digestion, liver health, and blood sugar control. It also apparently acts as a mild laxative and a diuretic.
 
What is there not to like about this mix with its herbs and variety of grasses which I was assured they would go mad for, and it would increase their weight gain dramatically. I do my best to encourage them tuck in but watch in vain as they spit out anything other than grass, in a cow sort of way.
 
There are those who have decided the Prime Minister has no alternative but to surrender power to Brussels over our national sovereignty, borders, defence procurement, fishing grounds and youth mobility. They paint Britain as some poor third world nation cowering under threat from Putin, China’s President Xi and Trump with our only friend in the world being the European Union.
 
Nothing could be further from the truth. It is a pity this weak minded, blinkered Europhile Prime Minister lacks the leadership skills to stand up and be counted. He should be defending Great Britain and leading from the front rather than from behind EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s skirts. 
 
I doubt this is what the public wants but they have been listening to those in the press and media who for years have been led by the nose by left wing Europhile MPs of all parties who fail to understand the implications of being beholden to a failed regime which is slowly sinking beneath too many EU laws and regulations.
 
Any closer alliance will result in too many people from the rest of Europe coming to work in Britain; are 30-year-olds really students? Our borders will become less safe than they are now. We will be sucked into subsidizing agriculture in other EU countries and will be pressured onto accepting too many imports from the rest of Europe.
 
Any trade deals with the USA will certainly be withdrawn by Trump who quite rightly, has utter contempt for the EU.
 
Parliament will end up having less power. Britain will once again become a rule taker rather than a rule maker. Is that really what we wished for as we celebrated last week and remembered all those brave men and women who served our country during WWII, and their families and friends who were bombed out of their homes and places of work. I don’t believe so.
 
Britain has outperformed the EU for the past nine years. Due to Brexit, we had the freedom to enter into trade deals with India, the US, and the Pacific market. None would have been possible without Brexit. The EU has as Daniel Hannan says, always wanted to take back control of our trade policy. It resents the idea of our buying foods that it has banned on protectionist grounds. To keep Britain as their captive market, Eurocrats want to set our standards in perpetuity.
 
Starmer has clearly sold out to the EU. He has surrendered our fishing rights to European fishermen for a further nine years in exchange for a long-term agreement on food standards.
 
He has sold out our armed forces. Britain will be expected to take part in new intelligence-sharing mechanisms, as well as co-ordination of conflict prevention and peace mediation. This could mean that British soldiers could be sent to “civilian missions and military operations and missions, upon the invitation of the EU”. For which we are expected to pay, heavily. Britain’s policy, even as a member of the EU was to oppose any defence integration outside Nato.
 
The “reset” deal will force the UK to follow European food standards and submit to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), in what Brexiteers and Labour rebels said amounted to “the worst of both worlds”. 
 
It is barely a year since Labour won the General Election. If they can cause so much damage to our country both inside and outside our borders, think Chagos islands, in a few short months, what in God’s name will be left of Great Britain after a further four years?

Labore Agricolae Floreat Civitas is the National Farmers Union (NFU) motto. This Government, in particular the Prime Minister and Chancellor have clearly taken this motto literally. It translates: ‘May the state prosper through the farmers’ toil.’ They clearly believe the State should prosper but not the people and certainly not the farmers.
 
Farmers have always toiled and continue to do so, to supply food from field to folk while also maintaining our ‘green and pleasant land’, and supporting the environment, flora, and fauna. I wonder if politicians really understand or appreciate this.
 
It appears this Government intends to ensure that farmers prop up the ‘state’, by subsidising the public’s food. Unlike farmers across Europe, the USA and elsewhere with whom we compete, British farmers receive no financial support or encouragement to produce food.
 
Farmers are being kicked in the teeth having had SFI 2024, created to replace the Single Farm Payment, pulled with just 30 minutes warning.
 
Agricultural Property Relief (APR) designed to help farmers and landowners transfer land and associated assets to the next generation without facing a high tax burden, is now subject to 20 percent tax as from March 2026. Yet another form of land nationalisation by the back door. The fallout of this will escalate, lives will be lost, and farm businesses will collapse.
 
We are now told Angela Raynor has decided that farmers will prop up the State by allowing councils to compulsory purchase farmland at agricultural value. Developers will build houses on cheap land to hit the government’s targets. However, it is very unlikely the young and first-time buyers will be able to afford them.
 
The debate about whether school children should be allowed to have mobile phones in the classroom or at all until they are at least 16, rumbles on. The air waves are thick with opinions from all walks of life discussing the pros and cons of access to inappropriate content which vulnerable children should not be exposed to.
 
Last week we were told that a high percentage of children as young as 8 are watching extreme pornographic images, and teachers are reporting that boys of this age are already becoming aggressive and misogynist as a result.
 
Social media and the WWW are clearly no place for children to go unsupervised. They can very quickly be taken down rabbit holes which turn ugly and damaging to young minds. I hear from friends who teach in primary schools that five-year-olds start school having not acquired the art of conversation, and they speak with American accents, picked up as they spend more time on screen than talking to their family. Their ability to concentrate is almost zero and increasingly children are being diagnosed with ADHD.
 
It is disturbing that there is almost total radio silence about the very real problems caused to children by being exposed to man-made electromagnetic radiation (EMR) As well as protecting children from the content of what they see on mobile devices, we should be fighting to protect them and the public in general from the damaging radiation from mobile phones. These devices, radio masts, and the thousands of satellites hovering just 250 miles above us are raining down electromagnetic radiation.
 
The battle between the health of the nation and offering connectivity is being fought out behind closed doors or maybe not at all. Why have governments of all colours not addressed this matter. I suspect they are concerned about the fallout that any negative publicity would have on multi-million-pound companies which promote and market mobile connectivity.
 
The result of this bombardment of electrical emissions is being monitored and noted as the alarming decline in the cognitive health of the millennial generation which has lived with life-long exposure to mobile phones, radio masts and satellites.  Previous generations who were not exposed to electromagnetic radiation, mobile phones as babies and during their childhood do not present with the same attention deficit conditions.
 
This subject is huge, one which appears not to be taken seriously enough. As well as affecting humans, there has been a catastrophic decline in insects and bugs. We have all noticed the lack of splattered bugs on our car windscreen,  the fault we are told is down to farmers’ use of pesticides. No, the pesticides farmers have used for decades are so diluted compared to the lethal stuff used post war.
 
There are also the declining numbers of birds both migrating and domestic. When the very bugs they feed on are reduced by as much as 85%, and many heading back to our shores from the southern hemisphere are confused by EMR which interfere with their natural navigation systems, the results are catastrophic.
 
Examples of this disruption are included in a presentation in 2017 by Mark Broomhall to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on the exodus of so many species of wildlife from Nightcap National Heritage area on Mount Nardi in Australia.
 
He lived on Mount Nardi for more than forty years. After antennas for 3G cell phones were installed on Mount Nardi communications tower in 2002, he saw an immediate decline in insect population. In 2009, when “enhanced 3G” was added to the tower, along with channels for 150 television stations, 27 bird species left the mountain. In early 2013, when 4G was installed a further 49 bird species left, all bat species became scares, four common species of cicada almost disappeared, frog populations were drastically reduced, and the massive and diverse populations of moths, butterflies, and ants became uncommon to rare.
 
While Mark Broomhall presented his report, people all over the world woke up to the fact that their car windscreens were not being splattered with tiny life, and that insects of all kinds were disappearing from the earth.
 
In 2017, scientists reported a 75 to 80 percent decline in total flying insects in 63 nature protection areas in Germany. In 2018, another group of scientists reported 97 to 98 percent decline in total insects caught in sticky traps in a Puerto Rican rainforest.
 
Decisions are being made to intensify the global microwave rain from a steady drizzle to a downpour. Instead of radio masts every few miles, there are now masts every few houses in every city across the world. These small boxes are exposing the population to tens of hundreds of times more radiation than the tall structures they are replacing.
 
With the roll out of driverless cars these antennas are it is said, being sown like so much rice along the sides of highways and beneath pavements, the electric fields will also cover the countryside. This is 5G, the 5th generation of wireless technology which will enable the creation of the “Internet of Things”: not only cars, trucks, and home appliances, but virtually everything we buy is being fitted with antennas and microchips.
 
Cars will drive themselves; milk cartons will instruct refrigerators to order milk, your baby’s nappy will tell your mobile when it needs to be changed. By some estimates, as many as one trillion antennas will soon be talking to one another, outnumbering people on earth by one hundred to one.
 
Yes, we should be very concerned about what children watch on mobile devices, but we should be just as concerned if not more so by the damage to their brains and bodies from the electrical emissions from these devices and elsewhere.
 
Quotes taken from, The Invisible Rainbow (A history of electricity and life) by Arthur Firstenberg.

It would appear that I am not the only one baffled by the appointment of Minette Batters (former President of the NFU) to provide recommendations for a review into farming profitability as part of the New Deal for farmers.
 
It is perhaps not that surprising that Dame Batters is eager to support this Labour government, she was always very critical of the previous government, Boris Johnson in particular. I question why she is taking Labour’s shilling; will this latest quango really help the farming industry?
 
Defra is already engaged in several policy reviews, including the Farming Roadmap, a Food Strategy Advisory Board, a Land Use Framework consultation, the creation of a National Estate for Nature, a Sustainable Farming Incentive review and now this Farming Profitability Review.
 
I suspect that Secretary of State Steve Reed mistakenly believes that by asking Minette Batters to lead yet another review, farmers will be impressed and believe she and he have our backs.
 
From the feedback I have been getting nothing could be further from the truth. Minette was a good talker; she could talk for England and frequently did. But what she achieved for the industry could be written on the back of a cigarette packet. No doubt she will be get a tidy fee but is this public money for public good, let alone for the good of farmers?
 
This new committee costing thousands of pounds will make little difference. We all know where the problems lie, it doesn’t take a genius. In fact the current NFU President Tom Bradshaw could do it in an afternoon and I am sure he has already done so. This appointment is purely a distraction, a waste of taxpayers’ money.
 
In the UK, electricity prices are exclusively linked to the price of gas as the energy market uses a system called "marginal cost pricing." This means the price of electricity is set by the cost of the most expensive energy source needed to meet demand, which is often gas-fired power plants. While renewables like wind and solar are becoming more prevalent, gas-fired power plants still play a crucial role in meeting the peak demand, especially when renewable sources are less reliable. 
 
The result being UK energy prices are the highest in the world. Currently we pay 25.85 pence per kwh, whilst others such as France pay 17.84 p/kwh, Spain 13.38 p/kwh and Portugal 9.2 p/kwh.
UK energy prices, particularly for electricity, are heavily influenced by global gas prices. When gas prices rise due to factors like increased global demand or supply disruptions, the cost of generating electricity also increases, leading to higher electricity prices for consumers. 
 
The UK also operates some of the highest excise duties in Europe, combined with a 20% VAT rate.
 
UK steelworks are facing significantly higher electricity prices compared to their European competitors. For the 2024/25 period, the average price faced by UK steelmakers is approximately £66/MWh, while prices in Germany and France are around £50/MWh and £43/MWh respectively, meaning UK steelmakers pay significantly more for their electricity. 
 
Britain's steel industry has called on the government to help with electricity prices that it says can be 50% higher than those paid by European competitors. In March the sector was hit by a 25% tariff on exports to the U.S. that make up around 9% of the value of Britain's steel exports. Surely it is time for the UK to set electricity prices independently from the global price of gas. There is nothing to stop this move which would help industry and domestic supplies.
 
Last week both Labour and the Conservatives watched as Reform changed the face of UK politics. I could re-phrase that by saying. Nigel Farage changed the face of UK politics. Without him at the helm the results would have been significantly different.
 
Likewise, if Boris Johnson remained leader of the Conservative party and had not been stabbed in the back by so many of his colleagues, Remainers, London’s political elite, the BBC and many others, I am certain Starmer would not have entered No 10 on the tail of 411 Labour MPs, on a turnout of just 59.7% of which only 33.7% voted labour. It is worth recalling that over 80% of the electorate did not vote labour.
 
The airwaves and papers are now awash with analysis and predictions as to what the future holds. Most are disparaging about both Starmer and Badenoch, neither of whom have leadership skills let alone I fear have any idea as to how to lead the country out of its current difficulties.
 
Out of those who acknowledge Farage’s charisma and leadership skills, most tend to question whether he has a feasible financial plan to implement the changes he proposes to make.
 
With President Trump rearranging the world order with his tariffs and ideology for change, including sanctioning President Putin’s land grab in Ukraine whilst eyeing up Canada, Greenland and the Gulf of Mexico for himself, it is vital that Starmer and his left-wing bandits face a credible opposition. I suspect the only way to achieve that is for Nigel and Boris to drop their simmering feud, make up and create a formidable alliance. They have just four years to persuade the British electorate that between them they really can ‘Make the UK Great Again.’

I wonder why Starmer, Reeves and this Labour government hate farmers quite so much. Is it because they really are ignorant about the role we play supporting and maintaining the environment and countryside and supplying food for the nation as well as making a contributing to GDP.
 
Are they just stupid or is it a way of putting us in our place as they recognise, we are mostly independent, bloody-minded individuals who have little respect for politicians and have until more recently largely manage to avoid falling under their control, but when as is currently the case, we are baited we bite back.
 
They have certainly put the boot in since taking office. Having promised repeatedly that they had our backs during the General Election campaign, (unbelievably too many trusted them), they have since stabbed us in the back well and truly and now they are twisting the knife.
 
First it was IHT bomb shell with its hidden agenda for land grab. Now we are informed that the SFI 2024 schemes which were put in place by the last government to replace the EU Common Agricultural Policy, have without notice or consultation been shut down. And now Angela Raynor has directed council planning departments that they can compulsory purchase land from farmers at agricultural land value, despite valuing the same land for IHT at ‘development value’. You really can’t make this stuff up.
 
The NFU and CLA continue to tell us they are working closely with government hoping to get Starmer’s team to change its mind. I have yet to notice either organisation ever being listened to by politicians or able to sway governments of any colour, but no doubt they do their best and are a nice bunch particularly at local and county level.
 
My mother refused to give the NFU a penny as she believed they were useless. My view is that the local representatives are decent people and do their best to communicate with and support farmers. My opinion regarding the national hierarchy is pretty much the same as that of my mother and I suspect unprintable.
 
Last weekend there has been a focus by the BBC on Rural Crime. Across Sussex and the South East it is not unlike the Wild West. Gangs of criminals are trawling the countryside targeting farms to steal quad bikes and gators. Since Christmas in and around Eridge, Groombridge, Hastings and Ashburnham alone, over 50 of these vehicles which are used daily to move livestock, feed sheep and generally get around rain-soaked fields in the winter months, where tractors cannot travel.
 
These criminals, and we know who they are and often where they come from, break into barns and sheds, sometimes breaking down walls and removing straw bales and farm equipment in their quest to get at the quad which the owner believed was secure having protected the building with locks, CCTV, lighting and padlocked bollards.
 
Unfortunately, the police are under resourced and cannot cope with this epidemic which leave farmers and other businesses vulnerable and defenceless. These criminals are not only aggressive, they are also ruthless and will stop at nothing. They attack farmers who try to stop them from taking their property, with baseball bats, and fire ball bearings at them and ram their vehicles when they try to stop them. These gangs are driving stolen vehicles, so they don’t care.
 
The Rural Police try to help by giving us DNA packs to mark our property, machinery, tools, and vehicles so they can be identified if found after a break in. This is fine but leans towards closing the door after the horses have bolted. We need to stop this now; prevention is always better than cure.
 
Farmers and small businesses want the law changed so we can protect our property and livelihoods without finding ourselves becoming victims of the law. Currently the law appears to be on the side of the criminals not the victims they target. When vehicles are stolen and reported to the police, we are told they cannot track a vehicle or retrieve it, particularly if it is known to be parked at a traveller’s site, which I would suggest is mostly the case. When farmers inform the police that they will go and retrieve their property themselves they are told they could be arrested for trespassing! 
 
This epidemic is not confined to farmers; local businesses are also being targeted. Tree surgeons, Electricians, Plumbers, Builders, Carpet layers and Butchers are seeing their vans broken into resulting in thousands of pounds worth of vital tools of their trade, produce and equipment being taken.
 
The Fire Station at Patridge Green was broken into in January and all their vital hydraulic cutting equipment taken and then used locally to break in and steal quads and ride-on lawn mowers near Gatwick.
 
We all need to protect our property, our livelihood and our families. The police are totally overwhelmed and under resourced, they clearly cannot cope. So, we should be allowed to defend our property and businesses. We pay our taxes, including council tax which has escalated sky high including yet another rise in the Sussex Police precept, which is set by the Police and Crime Commissioner, a post which should surely now be abolished.
 
The Wild West is currently unbalanced, the criminals can target us with an arsenal of dangerous equipment but if we dare to confront them with our shotguns when we are alone, vulnerable and completely outnumbered, it is us who get arrested. I would suggest that until these criminals are wiped out, locked up or stopped by an army of Rural Police which isn’t going to happen, those of us with shotgun and firearms certificates should be issued with Tasers and Stingers.
 
The public believe that rural crime is all about fly tipping. That is indeed the soft end where it starts but it ends with criminals killing their victims as happened to our friend Julian Gardener near Robertsbridge some years ago. He went out in the middle of the night to stop a gang of six from stealing his customer’s 4 x 4 vehicles from his farm workshop. They used a vehicle to ram him against a building where they left him to die, yards away from where his eighty-year-old mother was sleeping in her bungalow.
 
Julian was a lovely, very popular hard-working guy, who was a member of our farm shoot at Ewhurst Green. He was found dead the following morning by one of his chums. The gang were traced to Kent and four were charged and convicted on manslaughter charges. A soft sentence if there ever was one.
 
I only mention this case in an attempt to make people understand just how serious this matter is, and the consequences of not stopping this ‘civil war’ which is dangerously escalating.
 
The BBC gave me two minutes in which to make our case. I fear I failed miserably but at least it got the local politicians talking about Rual Crime, but will anyone do anything about is.

At last, spring is in the air. The countryside is coming alive and soon a carpet of blue will return to our woodlands, and yellow daffodils nod their heads whilst basking in the sunshine and gentle breeze. Hopefully when spring truly arrives after what looks like a fresh bout of cold northerly winds heading our way, the feeling of melancholy which came to me with the season will fade.
 
Instead of feeling optimistic about this coming year the opposite is true. It has been a while since our world felt quite so sad, unsafe, broken and lacking purpose. One by one those who have been our inspiration, role models, the ones who gained our respect, made us feel safe through their leadership so we felt they were a safe pair of hands, have fallen by the wayside.
 
Looking about internationally, nationally, and closer to home there are very few who I feel we can rely upon to do what is right. Previous politicians, statesmen and leaders had experienced life, seen the world when things had gone horribly wrong. They were intelligent and patriotic, they cared about their country, its people and the future – where are they now?
 
It is now hard to pick one true stateman, a natural leader, a person who is not ‘in it’ for their own gratification. There is not one who could say, ‘trust me’ and I would believe them.
 
It is unbelievable that Mark Carney has been elevated to Premier of Canada. His statement that Canada will not become the 51st state of the USA is in marked contrast to the years he tried to persuade the British that we should rightfully be a municipal of the European Union.
 
Having spent his time as Governor of the Bank of England 2013 – 2020 a role where he did little to guide the UK through financial turmoil, whilst doing his utmost to persuade the British to remain and then re-join the EU as the 28th ‘state’, why be so precious about Canada.
 
The man has some explaining to do. Surely what he considers good for the UK should be fine for Canada. At least The Trump is an obvious dictator whereas the EU is run by a bunch of grey, often invisible unelected bureaucrats determined to bring the bloc to its knees. Good luck to Canada under Carney’s watch. I must own up to having a vested interest as my father was Canadian.
 
Andrew Neil wrote at the weekend, “The last week has confirmed what those of us who gave Trump the benefit of the doubt have, in our heart of heart, always feared: That he is an unprincipled, narcissistic charlatan.
 
When the President of the USA told the world that he intends to seize control of Canada, Greenland, and the Gulf of Mexica which has already been renamed by Google Maps the Gulf of America, it is hardly surprising that he is comfortable supporting President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
 
Trump stood in the White House declaring that Ukraine invaded Russia and Putin has every right to fight back whilst condemning President Zelensky for not grovelling to him or apologising for doing his best to prevent his mate Putin from killing the entire population of Ukraine and taking the country by force. What was that about?
 
Benjamin Wittes, senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington, told an audience at a thinktank when discussing the Trump administration: “In the bilateral battle between malevolence and incompetence, incompetence is certainly winning.”
 
The Reform Party is in turmoil. Rupert Lowe has clearly crossed the line with utterings which were unacceptable; the man clearly has a temper. However, it seems Nigel Farage has lost some of his star dust having turned on President Zelensky in his attempt to keep in with Trump and Vance. It seems he has also fallen out with Elon Musk and there is no going back there.
 
Time will tell how this latest ding dong will end but what is certain is that Reform will never become an electable party without Farage, just as the Conservatives will fail without Boris. The public are fickle, it is about people not necessarily about policies. Grey uninspiring individuals who mistakenly believe they are ‘the one’ do not make any party electable.
 
Leadership takes courage, inspiration, vision, charisma and a willingness to raise one’s head above the parapet despite the possibility of being shot down. It is also about connecting with people, the electorate and understanding life from the grass root’s perspective, not from within ivory towers.
 
Starmer and Reeves are holding out against the farming community and small businesses. They have decided to shut their ears and ignore the bombardment of perfectly reasonable arguments as to why their policies are destructive towards running these businesses, employment, fiscal common sense, food production, preservation of the countryside and the environment, not to mention being major contributors to the country’s GDP.
 
As government ministers and Starmer talk about the importance of food security and supporting UK food production they are doing all in their power to undermine it. Family farm tax, increased national insurance, cheap food imports not produced to UK standards, removal of the Basic Payment Scheme and the slow deliver of the Sustainable Payment Incentive are hitting the industry hard, as Rob Chapman who owns and manages Westover Farm Contractors on the Isle of Wight so eloquently puts it in the Farmers Weekly. Farm contractors have a finger on the pulse of UK farming, they are feeling a worrying change including a lack of investment by farmers clearly worried about their future.
 
Should I be more upbeat and cheerful? Yes, I probably should but for now I am saying it as I see it and these examples hardly touch the surface. I will try to do better next time to find that silver lining.

​I have decided that it is increasingly important to keep alert and one’s antennae up and to listen with care to the variety of opinions hot on the airwaves locally, nationally, and internationally before taking sides.
 
We all have challenges of one kind and another; our local community is rife with problems. The British farming and business community of all sorts from hospitality, industry and educators to our senior citizens are also under siege from this Labour government and beyond. Bosses of the UK’s 5.5 million family-run pubs and shops face an uncertain future as Reeves’s tax raid takes hold.
 
Workers are being laid off and unemployment is on the rise. In 1967 Harold Wilson announced that “The pound in your pocket will be devalued by 14%”. A decision previously politically unthinkable. Today most of us are fortunate if we have any pounds in our pockets, and that for many who are really struggling, is a genuine problem.
 
So, we have a Prime Minister who has been applauded for not coming home from the USA with egg on his face. The fact that he came home with very little and failed to take the opportunity to defend Ukraine and President Zelensky who is a legitimate hero but was the following day verbally assaulted and disrespected by Trump and Vance, is I believe not unrelated.
 
Our countryside and precious resources are under siege despite what we are led to believe by ministers such as the hapless Ed Miliband who with any luck will soon be dismissed and returned to the back benches. Permanently sealing off our oil and natural gas reserves so neither we nor future generations can access them is at best reckless at worst a criminal act. I would say treasonable; the man should be locked up.
 
Steve Reed Sec of State Environment Food & Rural Affairs last week wrote to farmers following his appearance at the NFU conference where I understand he was received with little enthusiasm and stony silence except for the hecklers and noisy tractors outside the conference hall.
 
His letter said, “I am writing to provide a summary of the updates I announced, with a package that will support everyone. Farms will become more profitable and sustainable businesses for the benefit of our nation’s food security and the environment.”
 
He went on to say the government will be working with farmers and growers to increase productivity, animal health and welfare etc, through equipment and technology. He highlighted Higher Level Stewardship (HSL) payments which he said will improve the environment.
 
Also, capital grant schemes which will re-open in the summer, these have been on hold since 24th November 2024 leaving farmers in the lurch. They allow farmers to apply for funding towards equipment, technology and infrastructure. However, be warned, before you can apply, you must sell your soul and your farm’s future as most of these come with strings attached. They assume they have invested into your business therefore they will now have a share in that business. A bit like Trump with Ukraine.
 
Call me cynical, but I believe we have reason to be so. All these organisations from National Parks, RPA, DEFRA and the ministers have very little understanding, or maybe it is just part of the agenda towards land nationalisation by the back door. Certainly, little of this will help the farming community long term to support sustainable food production, maintain high standards or protect family farms.
 
Wherever one looks around the world there is a crisis caused by both civil and interstate war such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Innocent people are dying in their thousands including women and children, many of whom are out of sight and out of mind, particularly in regions of Africa.
 
Aggression and criminality are on the rise, it is seeping into every corner of the UK’s communities. We appear to have bred or imported a generation of feral, undisciplined, disrespectful individuals who are roaming our street, ransacking homes and businesses totally out of control. The authorities either cannot cope, don’t care or are turning a blind eye. As Richard Littlejohn wrote last week, ‘We used to be a nation of shopkeepers – now we are a nation of shoplifters.
 
Our education centres including universities once the envy of the world have been infiltrated by left wing liberals hell bent upon indoctrination and control. The intelligent students who do know better and are the majority, do their best to buck the trend. They work hard and plan for a future making the world a better place. However, they are silenced, intimidated and targeted by an aggressive minority whose views on politics, gender, wokeism, BLM and LGBT stuff make a mockery of free speech and fuel aggression.
 
Finally, what is wrong with the Imperial War Museum? At a time when we have precious few heroes or role models who invoke respect and admiration within our institutions or government, it has turned its back on those who heroically risked their lives. It is essential that young people have somewhere to go to understand just who and why those who were young with their whole lives ahead of them, risked their lives to protect our Monarchy, the British, our heritage and way of life, and our shores to safeguard the freedom we enjoy today.
 
It is little surprise that the families of Britain’s bravest along with much of the public, are dismayed by the decision to permanently close the gallery displaying our heroes’ Victoria Cross medals.
 
Last week the IWM announced that the Lord Ashcroft Gallery would close in less than four months. The collection of 230 Victoria Cross and George Cross medals would be removed from public view without even informing Lord Ashcroft. Shame on them.
 
Michael Ashcroft loaned his personal £70 million collection of medals in 2010 and donated £5 million towards the gallery’s opening. An example of the heroism of those awarded such medals was Warrant Officer Norman Jackson, aged 25, who was awarded his VC by King George VI in 1945 after crawling onto the wing of a blazing Lancaster bomber at 22,000ft to try to put out an engine fire. His VC was auctioned in London in 2004 and purchased by Lord Ashcroft for £200,000. At the time it was the highest auction price ever paid for a VC.
 
Norman Jackson’s son David Jackson, 71, lives in East Preston, West Sussex and has recently finished writing a book about his father. He said: “I thought the medals would always be on show to the public. What can you put that is more important in their place?”
 
The stories of the greatest acts of bravery and sacrifice in defence of our nation behind these medals should be compulsory reading and viewing for everyone, particularly young people now facing a world filled with shallow me-too light weights and very few who show true leadership and bravery.
 
Let us hope the public outcry will be loud enough to penetrate the cloth ears of those who made this ill-thought out ridiculous and insulting decision. These heroes cannot be brushed under the carpet or hidden in dusty storerooms. If they are, God help Great Britain in the future; along with so much else going on soon we shall rightly have to drop the ‘Great’. 

I find myself increasingly talking, occasionally shouting, at the radio and sitting with head in hands as I read the newspapers. What I am hearing and reading highlighting the direction this country is heading makes me inclined to ask myself if I have completely lost the plot, become increasingly intolerant and ancient, certainly bonkers. But then I realise my opinions really haven’t changed that much, it is the world around me which is changing – for the worse, I fear.
 
Each time I sit down to compose my next column armed with a story which I wish to share, along comes another which distracts my attention and then another and another. So, I end up deciding to delay, clear my head and hope more clarity and sanity will prevail.
 
I really cannot ignore the story emerging from north of Hadrian’s Wall. The Scottish National Farmers Union has a new “diversity and inclusion” strategy which highlights examples of language that had been heard at NFU meetings which were deemed “inappropriate”, including identifying a farmer as “he” as it reinforces stereotype!
 
Arguing that “the ‘farmer is not always a man”, the report said that they could be a woman and warned: “people in the leadership positions need to use the correct terminology. Don’t use farmer’s wife.”
 
Farmers were also warned against asking each other how many acres of land they own as an ‘opener’ in conversation as this “makes people starting out with a small farm or no farm, not feel welcome”.
 
NFU Scotland confirmed that it was accepting all 14 of the report’s recommendations, which followed a review conducted last year. The 30-page document by Caroline Millar, a former NFU Scotland board member, noted that farming was “still quite a traditional sector” and “an industry where change is viewed with caution.” The document includes the view that diversity and inclusion should be prominent so the union appeals to a wide range of people as possible and proposed that it join a Pride march “to give a clear message to gay people who may assume NFU Scotland is not for them”.
 
Before I took aim at Caroline Millar the author of this report, I of course checked her out. To my surprise she is not some high minded academic from the city trying to introduce her ‘woke’ credentials onto an industry she has little knowledge about. She is in fact a farmer along with her husband, where she runs the Hideaway Experience, welcoming visitors onto their farm to stay in their excellent accommodation in a beautiful part of Scotland
 
Caroline was a Nuffield scholar, is the lead of Scottish Agritourism Sector and involved with the Global Tourism Network. Her young family are also very much involved with the farm, her young daughter taking the lion’s share of the work during lambing and other tasks around the farm.
 
So, I ask myself, why is Mrs Millar so hung up with terminology and perception? And why has the NFU Scottish Board swallowed it hook line and sinker. I then realised that part of this lady’s complaint is that the Board is all male which she says is a stark reminder of the lack of diversity in the leadership of the organisation. So, of course these men have decided that if they want an easy life, instead of opposing these recommendations they would roll over and allow what I suspect are the opinions of a minority of individuals.
 
I wouldn’t be at all surprised that the reason they are all men is because most female famers don’t have time to attend meetings, they have far more pressing and productive ways to spend their time. (I will not list these as they are obvious to most farming families, and I will be accused of unconscious bias if I do)
 
This is not a situation confined across the border, the same is true in England. Go to any NFU or CLA meeting, farming conference and so many more events where farmers gather to glean information or get sucked into attending even more meetings and you will find those attending are predominantly men.
 
My mother was a farmer, and so am I, and I can assure you that everyone knew who was boss and wore the boots at Ote Hall in her day. It certainly wasn’t my father who liked to dabble and let others assume he was ‘the farmer’ but he was in fact a typical politician.
 
I too have never faced discrimination, sexism, or felt harassed when people have assumed I was a farmer’s wife, a lesser being and on occasions not the boss. As for my days at Plumpton College where my fellow students without fail curbed their language when I was in the room, and although very much in the minority I was treated as an equal if not somewhat different.
 
From day-to-day farming, attending meetings, market and cattle auctions I have never had a problem. As chairman of the South of England Agricultural Society my only cause for complaint was when occasionally I was referred to as the ‘chair’. No, I have two legs not four and most people in the room will recognise I am a female chairman not a male. This must have been introduced by a man, women really couldn’t care less about being called a chairman. Where will this nonsense end.
 
I am certain that the farming ladies of Scotland can look after themselves. They don’t need a rule book to defend them from the odd misspoken comments, bawdy joke, suggestion they may wish to shop while the ‘farmer’ attends the conference or stand up for Nicola Sturgeon who we have all levelled very ‘appropriate’ and sometimes unkind jibes at.
 
As the English NFU Conference starts on Tuesday 25th February at the QE11 Centre, London, where the theme will be ‘Foundations for the Future’, I sincerely hope the hierarchy of the NFU will not follow in the steps of NFU Scotland as the ‘future’ but take a more pragmatic line with common sense if anyone even suggests leaning in that direction. I certainly cannot see any advantage in a future where free speech is frowned upon, and everyone is afraid of offending someone or a minority. I think a bit of old-fashioned maturity, less woke and more thick skins would go a long way.

I think farmers are beginning to get a little tired of listening to the government saying how much they value farmers, wish to support them and promote economic growth. As I am constantly telling my family, “Actions speak louder than words”.
 
If they really value those who put the food on our tables, why are they not genuinely supporting farmers rather than putting obstacles in our way? An example of how to promote agricultural economic growth would be to concentrate their efforts on such matters as small local abattoirs to ensure they are not forced out of business and shut down.
 
In January, the last abattoir in Hampshire closed leaving many farmers struggling to find an outlet for their livestock. Newman’s was an independent family-run business based in Farmborough. This leaves just a handful of multispecies abattoirs in the South East meaning farmers are having to travel longer distances which is not ideal for animal welfare or is it time efficient.
 
As reported in the Farmers Weekly, rising operating costs including the hike in NI and small business tax, stringent regulations from the Food Standards Agency and limited profit margins are believed to have made it increasingly difficult for the Newman’s facility to remain viable.
 
We are fortunate to have a small family run abattoir Morley Farm, within a 15 minute drive but if that were to close which in the present unhelpful political climate is increasingly likely, I would have to take my cattle to Guildford where ABP have a huge abattoir which handles hundreds of livestock every day, but they are unable to separate specialist quality beasts from the rest of the cattle.
 
So, our quality Ote Hall grass fed Sussex cattle would end up on supermarket shelves, processed or as burgers. What a terrible waste of quality grass fed beef which currently makes a premium through local and London butchers and farm shops when processed through Morley Farm. Where would these outlets source their quality meat?
 
The previous Conservative government started to recognise the value of small abattoirs’ facilities at the heart of the rural economy, and as Christopher Price, Rare Breeds Survival Trust, pointed out, they also committed substantial funding to their future through the £4m Smaller Abattoir Fund. As he highlights, a robust and resilient local abattoir network, capable of processing small numbers of different species and breeds, is vital for the sustainable livestock sector, for the supply of local meat, recovery of rare breeds, and animal welfare.
 
According to the AHDB (Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board), there were just 49 red meat abattoirs in England in 2023, but at least four have closed since. It is vital this government recognises the vital role they play in supporting family farms which are the beating heart of the countryside and farming community. If they don’t, someone needs to tell them.
 
We know the imposition of IHT will eliminate many of these farms which will either be taken by government in leu of tax or swallowed up by huge commercial enterprises specialising in ‘factory farming’. This directly due to Ms Reeves destructive Budget attacking not just farmers but also independent and small businesses. Why do Labour Governments always think they know better about how to manage enterprise, economic growth and innovation, than the private sector and individuals. Surely, they should know by now having been caught out time and time again, that they don’t.
 
So, what’s the solution?  The industry knows it starts with recognising that farming isn’t a sideshow to tourism or a quaint relic of the past. It’s the foundation of a functioning society and farmers don’t need gimmicks or patronising suggestions to “diversify”; they need policies that support the actual business of farming. That means fair but hopefully short-term subsidies, sensible tax regimes, and investment in rural infrastructure. It means treating food production as a strategic priority, not an afterthought.
 
As was pointed out recently, ‘If Emily Miles who left the Food Standards Agency where she was CEO to join DEFRA as Director General last autumn, and her colleagues spent a week on a farm - not as a photo-op, but actually mucking in - they might begin to understand the depth of the problem’. Farming isn’t failing because farmers lack imagination or entrepreneurial spirit. It’s failing because successive governments have eroded its viability, all while mouthing platitudes about the importance of British agriculture. It is doubtful that any have ever ventured out of their offices let alone onto a farm.
 
Lord Frost is deeply concerned that Keir Starmer will return the UK to the clutches of the EU. Ever a Remainer the PM clearly does not recognise the benefits we have already gained as we celebrate the fifth anniversary of Brexit.
 
We recognise there are still problems, many of which predate Brexit such as immigration, a slow and unreformed public sector, the rush to net zero and growing levels of tax, spend and regulation.
 
But, now as David Frost tells us we have the freedom to solve these problems ourselves without having to run to Brussels asking for permission to change Vat; establish freeports; change our farming support system; reach new trade agreements; to do foreign policy deals with our old allies, like Aukus (between Australia, the United Kingdom and the united States); to change our rules on gene editing of clinical trials; to alter our animal welfare provisions; to cut tariffs on things we don’t produce ourselves; to protect the environment in our fishing grounds; to change our rules on driving licenses, the size of lorries or the cost of car insurance; and so much more. How helpful to see such examples written down so we can take them in and understand just what UK independence means.
 
Apparently, Keir Starmer believes it is ‘not normal’ for the UK to be free from asking permission from Brussels on how to run our country. He clearly does not recognise that the EU is in a worse financial mess than we are, but still wishes to re-tie the apron strings. He wants Brussels to negotiate the UK’s foreign policy on our behalf and also give them control over our food and drink sector.
 
Starmer is currently pushing a Bill through Parliament that lets the EU set our goods regulations, and we should be aware he is about to give up full control of our fishing grounds, just as we are about to grasp this freedom due in 2026 after years of quota-sharing.
 
The opposition in Parliament is weak, outnumbered and divided on such matters which are vital to our future. The start of our journey to restore our sovereignty, freedom and independence was hard fought for in 2016 but not since completed. Now we have a Labour party led by a weak PM who clearly has little if any regard or understanding of our history, heritage and legacy, as he is poised to revert Brexit.
 
I doubt this battle will be fought in Parliament, it will be down to the public who must listen to voices of people like, David Frost, Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson, Daniel Hannan and indeed President Trump who has made his view on the subject loud and clear. We must stand up for democracy and make our voices heard too.

We are all keen to know what 2025 will bring. Farmers would be comforted to know that ‘normal’ seasonal weather patterns like the cold of these past few days, and as do most business owners, that this Labour Government will take the trouble to understand the catastrophic impact their decision are already having on future planning of business growth, investments and whether to take on additional staff or even close down businesses.
 
I don’t wish to start the year on a too gloomy note as we need desperately to be optimistic for the future, although it is somewhat hard to find that chink of light but let us hope something positive happens. Perhaps President Trump and his mates will seize the day and shake things up across the pond. They say miracles can happen, let us hope they do in good old Blighty.
 
I am not one for New Year resolutions, I prefer to seize each day as it comes. We all face challenges, many self-inflicted but some are the result of decisions made by others who fail to grasp the catastrophic impact of their actions through ignorance, stupidity, malice or downright idleness. 
 
Our main challenge this year is the start of building the Ote Hall Farm Shop and Country Kitchen. Work begins this month but will probably stop once we have established the ground works to ensure we do not fall foul of the planning permission which will run out in May, as will our funds.
 
Funding is the biggest challenge. Having had everything in place in 2021 and ready to go backed up by a considerable RPA grant, very favourable terms with the Bank, and funds which we had put aside over the proceeding years for the project. Unfortunately, the family trustees decided not to support the plan at the last minute which resulted in the loss of the grant and Bank loan. They then proceeded to siphon off funds from the farm business which we had so carefully saved for the development, leaving us relatively skint. The only good news is we have at great personal expense removed these trustees except from a couple of properties which they are holding onto for grim death. From our experience I would recommend anyone thinking of setting up a family Trust, never take on or trust professional Trustees.
 
The story of the Godman family at Ote Hall goes back over 500 years. This latest move into further diversification starts here in 2025. We are determined to get the job done which will ensure we remain up and running for at least the next hundred years. We look forward to welcoming everyone once it is evenytually up and running. When that will be I cannot say.
 
If the ‘green fuel’ SAF which the government is insisting be introduced into aviation fuel is increased as they threaten, I think we should be very worried. If biofuels have the same effect on aircraft engines as it did on countless farmer’s  tractors, including ours, aircraft could be dropping out of the sky at an alarming rate.
 
Some years ago, we had major problems with our almost new Massey Ferguson. It was all singing, all dancing with a fancy modern engine, a computer system which meant we were unable to fix even the slightest glitch until an ‘expert’ came along with his computer to identify the problem. And did we have a problem! Time again the tractor ground to a halt which John found highly frustrating. The engineer’s computer directed us towards the fuel injectors which were cleaarly faulty and repeatedly brought the tractor to a standstill.
 
Over the following weeks and months, we replaced the fuel injectors at least twice and the injector pump once, leaving us without our main work horse for lengthy periods when it was crucial to get on with field work, and at cost for parts and labour of more than £24k.
 
I was certain it was fuel related and therefore questioned Southern Farmers who manage our fuel deliveries. They put me in touch with several of their local suppliers and eventually I also spoke to the manager of the major fuel depot which supplied the Southeast, based in the Midlands who assured me it couldn’t possibly be a problem caused by their fuel.
 
All along I was assured the fuel was top quality and it must be the fault of our tractor, ‘possibly a Monday morning or Friday afternoon model’ they said! However, the day I got a call from Graham at Yeowarts’ who in those days supplied our MF tractors and who tried so hard to identify the cause of our problems, that 12 tractors had been delivered that Monday morning to their workshop with similar fuel injector and pump problems, I knew I was onto something.
 
I wrote to the Farmers Weekly, introduced the subject into my weekly column in the WSG. I got back to the guy in the Midlands who yet again assured me there was no problem with the fuel, and I updated Southern Farmers on the escalating problem.
 
It was quite evident that farms were being supplied with poor quality red diesel some of which was imported, and yes had added biofuel which today’s finely tuned engines could clearly not cope with. Our older tractors with their good old heavy-duty engines like the MF 390 and MF 6475 Dynashift remained unaffected.
 
In the end we gave up trying to fix the problem; too much damage had been done and too much money spent on trying to fix it, so we traded it in for the MF7718 S.  On the day this big beast arrived in the yard I received a call from the manager of the fuel depot in the Midlands who came clean and told me he was receiving a flood of complaints like mine and the problem was ‘probably’ due to the introduction of a higher % of biofuels.
 
Sure enough when we sent yet another fuel sample from the farm tank for analysis, this time to an independent lab not the suppliers, they identified high traces of biofuel which clearly had caused the problem and destroyed what had been a perfectly good tractor.
 
We drained the tank again and refilled with high grade GT L diesel. Now each time I order a refill I insist on confirmation of its content. So far thankfully we have kept clear of further fuel problems.
 
The government as we know is insisting biofuels, Sustainable Aviation Fuel, be introduced into aviation kerosine on an escalating scale year on year; it has already begun at 2%.
 
When gas station petrol was changed some years ago from E5 to E10 many cars and motor bikes developed problems with fuel injectors and pumps. As one knowledgeable friend told me when I spoke to him earlier today when checking my facts, he said that at the time many drivers were sure this was done on purpose to get people to change to EVs faster than predicted. Cynical yes, but I suspect there could well be some truth in that.
 
The Government’s website tells us that Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is an airplane fuel alternative designed to cut lifecycle carbon emissions. It is almost chemically identical to traditional jet fuel and so directly replaces fossil fuel. It can be made from a variety of sources, including different types of waste, and by combining hydrogen with captured carbon. The biggest single contribution that will help us get to Net Zero is changing airline fuel to SAF – it is projected to account for around 40% of the total carbon reductions by 20501.
 
According to the UK Government SAF emits on average 70% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than using fossil jet fuel on a lifecycle basis2. This could potentially become 100% in future when third generation Power-to-Liquid fuels are available (currently in small scale production). 
 
My question is, do we really want to fly in aircraft with the risk of having dodgy fuel in their tanks? Is this helter skelter dive into Net Zero like all this government’s decisions to date an experiment into just how far they can manipulate the public, clearly thinking we are all as stupid and impractical as they are?
 
I think I will aim to keep my feet firmly on the Tera Ferma!

Can it be that Keir Starmer has set up a band of 100 Civil Servants to stealthily lead the UK back into the clutches of the EU? Shall we once again find ourselves coming under the cosh of the unelected bureaucrats in Brussels dictating our future and taking away our sovereignty so hard won by Boris? We voted to leave the European Union to take back control of our laws, borders, money, our trade and immigration system.
 
If this is the case shame on him for not recognising that the people of the UK democratically voted LEAVE in 2016. Boris then won a resounding mandate in 2019 to ‘Get Brexit Done’, an election he won with the biggest share of the vote since Margaret Thatcher in 1979, bigger even than Tony Blair in 1997.
 
At a time when the world is a tinder box and fragile, it is essential that the United Kingdom stands tall and unhindered by the tentacles of Brussels which is determined to clip our wings. They would smother our entrepreneurs, take away our independence and dictate who we can trade with, tear down our borders while flooding our overpopulated cities with immigrants with people we don’t want.
 
Added to that they would ensure free movement to a possible 70 million young Europeans between the age of 18 and 30 who they would make eligible to come and live here to help themselves to our free education, medical and welfare services. Angela Rayner would certainly need rather more than 1.5 million houses by 2029 to cope with even some of those.
 
The United States is a far better ally, especially with President Trump restored to the White House in the New Year. Whatever ones view it goes without saying that he is a far better friend than Biden ever was, whose loyalty rests with his Irish friends. He is no fan of the UK, let alone the Monarchy which we know he despises.
 
So how do we stand up to this weak unpopular PM with his fragile majority; less than 35% of the people voted him in, and most of his MPs have paper-thin majorities. Those with rural seats will hopefully be gone soon as they clearly disrespect their hard-working farming constituents and anyone who owns a business. These people will no longer invest in their businesses, emplyees or futures as they have had the rug well and truly pulled from beneath them by Reeve’s crippling Budget.
 
There is an answer, one which should have been embraced back in 2019 when it was clear the public wanted a clean break, and as it became increasingly clear the Remainers would do anything to reverse the historic Referendum. Boris should have publicly thanked Nigel Farage for pulling back his troops which enabled the Conservatives to gain the vital win they both wanted to seal the deal. Sadly, an opportunity lost.
 
So now as Nigel Farage and his increasingly popular Reform Party are in the ascendance, surely it is time to combine forces if he is prepared to welcome the motley crew of conservative MPs onto his band wagon.
 
Sadly, no one is really listening to anything Tory MPs have to say, let alone Kemi Badenoch their spirited leader who to give her credit is giving the PM a run for his money. She is clearly getting under his skin at PMQs but making little headway outside Westminster.
 
Starmer is nervous about Reform and the world and his wife are watching carefully as Nigel’s best mate is currently Donald Trump. Nigel has a voice, he has a loud one which he uses effectively with passion and charisma, something lacking inside parliament since the departure of Boris.
 
It is vital the Brexiteers recognise that united they win, divided we fall. The public must be reminded every day why we left the EU, what will happen if Starmer stealthily takes us back into their destructive clutches and remind the country how much the Europeans hate us and wish to see us humiliated and diminished.
 
As farmers we cannot accept EU regulations regarding food and agricultural law with no opportunity to have our say. The EU just about destroyed British farms with their targeted unrealistic variety of subsidies and red tape.
 
And what about the fishermen? In 1973 the hopeless and Ted Heath, a traitor to this country, abandoned the rights of UK fishing communities taking away their rights. Now due to the Brexit deal our entire marine borders and wealth will revert to our fishermen from 2026. The UK not the EU will once again be in control to decide whether to allow foreign trawlers access to our fishing grounds; Starmer must not be allowed to interfere and diminish the lives and futures of our farming and fishing industries.
 
I am certain many Conservatives will gradually defect to the Reform Party as we see Labour cosying up to Ursula von der Leyen. The only passionate audible voice with any clout on the political scene is Nigel Farage. Reform is weak on many fronts but impressive on Brexit, however if united with the Conservatives the odds would be greatly elevated to preserve the independent sovereignty for our unique and wonderful country.
 
LET’S KEEP BREXIT DONE

What do Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves not understand about APR (agricultural property relief)? The simple purpose for APR was to help farms stay in families so that they can continue to produce food and care for the countryside. 
 
Following the so far failed attempts by the NFU and CLA to ‘reason’ with the government, it looks as though working farmers are planning to take things into their own hands, with further protests across the country. An ‘underground’ movement is taking shape which will spread as the anger grows, and who can blame those who see their life’s work, their futures and the legacies left by our forefathers destroyed at the whim of this ignorant, left-wing destructive Labour government.
 
The contents of the Budget were debated last week in Parliament and sure enough passed with a thumping majority including the matter of 20 per cent IHT on farms. Rural Labour MPs, some representing farmers in their constituencies, face a furious backslash as they opposed the conservative motion for this so called ‘family farm tax’, to be axed.
 
I wonder if Starmer and Reeves will attend any of the funerals of the elderly who die from hypothermia or hunger during the cold winter months. Will they venture into the countryside to attend services ‘celebrating’ the lives of dedicated elderly working farmers who will unexpectedly perish following on farm fatal accidents as March 2026 looms, as has been predicted.
 
In a final act of defiance, desperate farmers who know they will not survive the required seven years to avoid their successors having to pay 20 per cent inheritance tax on the value of their farm’s worth more than £1 million, (most are). Shame on these spiteful Labour politicians sitting in their gilded London cages in their designer clothes paid for by the PMs mate Lord Ali.
 
Perhaps it is time for politicians to experience life on a proper working family farm. Get up at 4am to milk cows, go out in all weathers checking livestock and mending fences brought down by local vandals or the extreme weather. Take livestock to markets or abattoirs; for some farmers this can be a round trip of two to three hours or more.
 
Worry about harvesting crops as they watch the rain lashing down in the summer and look at the books which show very little financial returns if any, after removing the cost of production, fixed costs, insurance, fuel, fertiliser, labour, NI and Tax.
 
Perhaps then weigh that all up and then explain how any farmer can be expected to pay Inheritance Tax of 20 per cent of the value of the farm, farmhouse, farm buildings, live and dead stock, machinery, and land.
 
Does the successor sell the farmhouse and buy a caravan? Do they sell land to developers or city traders escaping to the country. What will happen over the decades ahead as gradually more and more productive land disappears under tarmac and concrete, wind turbines, solar panels, or is rewilded or just abandoned? Who will provide the food to fill the supermarket shelves then?
 
There is also the worry within the industry over the impact of future trade deals, substandard food imports and the recent sudden removal of farming grants. Is it any wonder that it is not only the countryside which is rising up and considering ways to make this calamitous government listen. Five more years of their self-destruct policies which are already crippling industry, small businesses, the environment and discouraging innovation and investment.
 
Tom Harris retells the comedian Bill Bailey’s view of how Ed Miliband’s role as leader of the Labour Party came about by comparing him to a plastic bag stuck in a tree: no one knows how it got there, and nobody can be bothered bringing it down. He believes the Prime Minister is sending out similar ‘plastic bag’ vibes as his predecessor and predicts that Starmer’s lack of personality and common sense will not get him to the end of this parliament. Time will tell.
 
Whilst mentioning Ed Miliband, when is he going to give the green light to the SMR (Small Modular Reactor) industry? What is he waiting for as Rolls Royce SMR, EDF, GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Westinghouse Electric Company, NuScale Power and Holtec Britain have been ready to move forward since last year to enable the UK to lead the global race to develop cutting-edge technologies to rapidly deliver cleaner, cheaper energy and greater energy security. The previous government were poised to award contracts, but Miliband seems wedded to covering thousands of square miles of farmland with questionable solar panels and wind turbines, all of which have a short life span and the carbon cost for manufacturing, importing and then decommission them is eye watering.
 
The Conservative government’s plan was for up to a quarter of all UK electricity to come from nuclear power by 2050 and to deliver operational SMRs by the mid-2030s. Have I missed something, have any of these companies been awarded contracts, does Miliband really have a plan?

​Every new Government quite naturally appears naive and clumsy as they take over the reins and learn the ropes. However, this Labour Government takes the biscuit for being totally detached from reality and appears to lack any intelligence in just about every department.
 
It seems everything they touch crumbles beneath their gaze and the public are beginning to see the cracks and are getting tired of their incompetence, deceit, greed, and lack of understanding of how this country should operate. They appear totally unaware of how to prioritise or understand how the country operates, from finance, security, businesses, commodities, agriculture and food production, the environment, international relations and so much more.
 
We must be realistic and acknowledge that what the last Tory government left behind due to the incompetent leadership of Rishi Sunak was a mess. He clearly had no plan other than to become Prime Minister which he achieved by stabbing Boris in the back.
 
That was not the fault of the Conservative Party, it was the fault of the leadership and poor standard of so many of his Ministers who ran out of ideas, did not have the intellect to achieve, and it should also be said, did not have the support of civil servants who were undermining them at every turn in their determination and haste to install this left wing, union controlled Labour Government.
 
The list of errors grows daily from Starmer cosying up to President Xi Jinping while hoping to get a trade deal to giving away to Mauritius at huge cost to UK, the Chagos Islands, a strategic base for UK and US defence.
 
Donald Trump’s team are seeking assurances that this controversial deal will not be completed before his inauguration in January.
 
The Independent recently revealed that the president-elect is looking for ways to veto the agreement because of his concerns over its security implications in the Indian Ocean with the crucial joint UK/US base on Diego Garcia.
 
There are also concerns that the deal struck by Sir Keir Starmer and foreign secretary David Lammy will allow China access to the islands to build their own rival base.
 
This ‘deal’ smacks of the same mindset that Tony Blair had when he first walked into No 10 and immediately scrapped the Royal Yacht Britannia. This was an act of complete stupidity, incompetence and vindictiveness which broke the heart of our late Queen Elizabeth and took away the Nation’s and Monarch’s flag ship which sailed the oceans and brought back to the UK some of the most prestigious and lucrative trade deals and respect for this country than any Prime Minister or minister has ever achieved.
 
What is it with these Labour MPs who go about unravelling the very fabric of our country which has made it so independent and greatly respected for centuries across the world?
 
Farmers who previously grew Oilseed Rape are now being paid not to grow OSR but instead to grow wildflowers. The result is that the UK is now set to be net importers of Oilseed Rape to the tune of a billion pounds cost to the UK balance of payments. So, the government is prepared to pay farmers not to grow OSR and then pay a premium for imported poor quality OSR which will collect food miles and a huge carbon footprint. How sensible is that?
 
A farming friend has a client who is 73 and has decided he may get a (very amicably divorce) from his second wife and turn ‘gay’. He can then marry his stepson who is in his 30s, so when he turns his toes up the farm can pass to his stepson/third wife, with no IHT to pay. As he said, drastic but what a world we are living in now to provoke such thoughts.
 
When my time comes, I hope I shall be found lying amongst the buttercups with my dogs by my side and some curious Sussex bullocks grazing nearby. However, if I am unlucky enough to develop a terminal illness which renders me incapable of functioning normally and I lose my independence and probably my dignity, I hope the law will allow my family or doctor to help me slip away peacefully at a time and place of my choosing.
 
The debate on assisted dying is becoming too complicated, too tied up with ‘what ifs’, and quite frankly not going to help those who genuinely wish to choose when and where they depart this world.
 
The excuse regarding people being coerced (unlikely) into taking their own lives should not outweigh the importance of letting people who are already waiting and desperate for the law to change. Why should people like Esther Rantzen and so many others travel to Switzerland to end their days if they can afford to, when they would surely wish to remain in their home where they feel safe and loved.
 
Some of those who are opposed to assisted dying do so for religious reasons which I understand and respect. Others who do so for reasons beyond my understanding, I suspect have never watched for months even years as close friends or family just ‘exist’ often in pain, or just wishing to drift away peacefully from just existing, but the ‘system’ does not allow. I have often been tempted as I have sat beside dear friends and a family member, to help them on their way as I see the pleading in their eyes. Oh, if only I could – perhaps I did – I certainly would in future.