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.

There are times when I believe politicians need reminding that they are the servants of the people, not our masters. Yes, they are voted into office, often on the back of a false manifesto aimed at bringing in the votes. What they should not do once in office, is set about, without permission from the people, some of whom voted for them, but many did not, is give away Crown territory, destroy irreversibly our infrastructure, or cutting off the very hands which feed them.
 
Farmers have every right to be angry. Many believe Rachel Reeve’s Budget was a stake through their heart, and it is quite clear it was done through malice, ignorance, and a complete lack of understanding of how farming and land ownership operates in this country.
 
She has clearly decided that farmers do not work; she promised she would not tax anyone who worked. Has she any idea who the bulk of our farmers are and why they work to produce food for the nation as well as caring for the countryside, flora, fauna and wildlife and the precious land, for very little reward, day in day out, often 18 hours a day 7 days a week?
 
Farmers will go to London on Tuesday, many would not leave their farms or county other than to go to war. They ask that people from related industries also make the trip to show support for the farming community which is now under siege. I would add that anyone, if not everyone who buy food to put on their table for their family should also go to London to support the farmers who toil away day after day, seven days a week to ensure the shelves are supplied with milk, butter, bread, beef, chicken, lamb, pork, sausages, burgers, vegetables, apples and pears, twelve months of the year.
 
If our family farms cease to exist in one or two generations time, due to the crippling 20% tax, our ‘green and pleasant land’, will no longer look as it does today. Much will become rewilded, useless, overgrown, and impenetrable. The neat hedges will be no more, the ditches will not be cleaned out, weeds and brambles will take over, footpaths will not be tended. Housing developments will creep across green spaces, landowners will not be there to stop it.
 
Most of our food will be imported from countries which have lower welfare and hygiene standards than the UK. Its carbon footprint will wipe out any advantage gained from when we bought ‘local’ produce. The amount of processed food will increase resulting in the public becoming even more obese than we are already.
 
I am often told how lucky we are to ‘have’ such a lovely family farm. I think my reply applies to every single farmer in the country, when I say, “Yes, it is a privilege to live here in this beautiful countryside, where we take care of the livestock, fields, soil, buildings, and gardens for people to enjoy. But, no I don’t ‘have’ it, it has me 24/7, as it did my mother before me and generations of family before her, and as it will my son when I am done.”
 
“We are just the caretakers of our patch of countryside, we keep it healthy and productive. Nature is miraculous but often untidy, even destructive and without knowledgeable hard-working farmers tending the land and handing down their knowledge, and farms down generation to generation, the land will certainly not feed the nation.” I suspect Rachel Reeves, Keir Starmer and their townie colleagues have absolutely no idea what goes on ‘down on the farm.’
 
I have always suspected much of the purpose of governments of all colours as they manipulate farmers by offering subsidies in the form of financial carrots for which they must hand over details of every inch of land they manage, is a way of creating land nationalisation by the back door. This is now becoming not just an idea; it is becoming a reality as this government squeezes farmers into corners where they will end up handing over their land to HMRC when they cannot pay the inheritance/death tax.
 
We must encourage those who care about what they eat and where it comes from to support farmers now, before it is too late, and the damage is done.
 
In 2016 when Donald Trump won the presidential election the first time, I wrote, “We can be sure that whatever happens, this presidency certainly won’t be dull”. That probably was an understatement.
 
This time I am happy to repeat that but add that I believe the world will probably be a safer place with Trump in the White House. There is a lack of strong, charismatic leadership in the Western world. Look across Europe there is not a single strong, independent minded leader. Trump will shock and unsettle but his unpredictability will keep others on their toes; let us hope he settles for some calm, educated and sensible advisors. Time will tell.
 
Watching the left-wing London elite and media along with Keir Starmer’s hench men going into meltdown following Trumps decisive win, it is reassuring to note just how very uncomfortable they all are. It is also shocking how quickly this government is displaying its very evident dislike of anything traditional, historical, and British.
 
Let us hope The Trump will ensure GB does not hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, and surely, we must hope he says no to Peter Mandelson becoming ‘Our Man in Washinton’. He is an utter disgrace and totally disloyal to this country.
 
So, apparently Welsh dogs are racist. A report commissioned by the Welsh Government recommends that dogs should be banned from the countryside. This was part of an initiative to make green spaces more ‘inclusive’. They have concluded that ethnic minorities face ‘barriers’ to outdoor spaces on the grounds of ‘exclusions and racism’. Apparently just one black African female had stated she feels unsafe in the presence of dogs. Others were traumatised by seeing dogs ‘fouling on the floor’. That is what dogs do for goodness’ sake.
 
Yet again, it seems that a very small minority will dictate what the majority can and cannot do and where they can go. It seems that fishing could be the next on the list to be banned as it is judged to be a white man’s hobby. How dare they sit by a river in their fishing kit minding their own business. They are clearly viewed by someone as passive aggressive. Whatever next?
 
If these people don’t like what they see in the countryside, then I suggest they keep away and leave it to those who do and appreciate the way countryfolk welcome everyone whatever their colour, religion, race, or background, if they understand and respect the countryside code.
 
Frederick Forsyth who recently lost his beloved wife Sandy is about to put pen to paper to tell their love story which was clearly magical until four years ago when she developed an opioid addiction.  We all know friends or family who have a similar addiction; many are in denial and will not accept that they are on a slippery slope. I hope Freddie Forsyth will write his story quickly, as I will buy several copies and send them to those I care about but clearly do not care for themselves, their families or loved ones, or their responsibilities.

So, according to Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves farmers don’t work, despite putting in 18-hour days, often 7 days a week. That is unless these two lied through their teeth throughout the General Election and build up to the disastrous Budget, whilst telling the world and his wife that they would not tax ‘working people’.
 
Why would any business owner or farmer invest in their property, machinery, employees, training, the environment, or the future for that matter, if all their hard work, investment and efforts would result in this Labour Government taking a sizeable slice of that business and in doing so ensure it could not prosper and grow?
 
Labour has already made it perfectly clear that they will take from those who own their businesses, genuinely work for their living and invest in their staff, to give to the bloated public sector, as we witnessed when they gave in to train drivers demands already on a basic salary of £60,000, at the behest of their union pay masters who clearly call the shots.
 
Much has been written about the 20% inheritance tax on farms above the threshold value of £1million. This includes the land, farm buildings, farmhouse, workers’ cottage, live-stock, and machinery. With the average size of family farm being 300 – 500 acres, as is ours, the result will be many family farms having no choice but sell up within one or perhaps they can hang on for two generations, in order to pay the tax, often when they are already loaded in debt.
 
This tax raid is indeed a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Yes, there are hedge fund managers and multi-million-pound business owners who have or plan to buy farmland to offset future inheritance tax. If that is who the Chancellor is aiming at, then she should say so. But, to catch all the small fry which are the majority of farmers in her net is unforgiveable, highly damaging and will have huge implications on sustainability of food production and security, the environment, wildlife, people’s lives and the British countryside.
 
Most family farms go back generations; the Godman family have farmed Ote Hall Farm since the 1500s. Today just to keep our heads above water, we like so many farms, have had to diversify and invest capital to keep ahead of increasing amounts of legislation, red tape, and bureaucracy. Due to the environment agency breathing down our necks, we upgraded our sewage system by installing super expensive pumps and deep underground pipe work across the farm which replaced a very effective and safe system which had been in place since the 1880s and I must add, worked perfectly well, if not better than the new system which regularly breaks down and costs a bomb to service, including regularly replacing parts including the very expensive pumps.
 
Having been told by the last government they would reduce red tape which would have been helpful, in reality the hoops we must jump through have increased year on year.
 
Last week we had our annual Red Tractor inspection. You would think that as we always pass with flying colours, this would be a simple exercise to confirm everything is just the same, and we still know how to grow our arable crops despite coping with the loss of 75% of our crops due to the weather during 2023/24. And surely, we are also capable of looking after our Sussex cattle despite the insistence that there must be an annual report from our vet confirming that we do indeed still know what we are doing.
 
I usually get the inspector off the farm in a couple of hours but last week, maybe because he was new, the ‘very nice’ guy, took over five hours to complete his form filling, during which he asked for documents and records which quite frankly he had no need to see or business to. What a waste of his time and mine, particularly as it was the week of our TB Test. He was quite frankly fortunate to get away without being throttled by me, but be assured, I was polite to a fault.
 
I understand there are just three farmers in Parliament - what hope have we that common sense will prevail on the green benches when it comes to matters regarding agriculture, food production, the environment and the very future of our industry and related suppliers of machinery, Agri-chemicals including R & D, seed, related services, and the countryside. Do they know or care about livestock breeding and genetic improvements, the development of seeds which have been created to cope with climate change, disease, and pests, here and abroad?
 
What about the vital work of our game keepers who ensure farms have a good balance of wildlife as they manage vermin and habitats, so vital for a healthy eco-system. Who will manage our ancient woodlands so lovingly cared for by generations of farmers with the knowledge handed down from generation to generation?
 
It is not just the farming community who should be standing up to this left-wing government, the public who care about their countryside and appreciate just why we have such a ‘green and pleasant land’ cared for by farmers, should make their voices heard now before it is too late.

Some farmers will already have seen the statement below which is currently doing the rounds. It was I believe initiated by a farmer responding to a member of the public who clearly believes farmers sit on our backsides all day counting their money whilst crops grow by magic for which we get paid a fortune, and livestock miraculously take care of themselves, including feeding, mucking out, calving, lambing and farrowing, stock tasks and milking, just for starters.
 
“Harvest 2024 has begun. If those of you who are not farmers want to know what the price of wheat is right now......it's about the same as it was in 1972. $4.86 a bushel. A loaf of bread in 1972 cost $0.25

A bushel of wheat yields 42 one-and-a-half pound commercial loaves of white bread OR about 90 one-pound loaves of whole wheat bread. A bushel of wheat makes about 42 pounds of pasta or 210 servings of spaghetti. There is approximately 16 ounces of flour in a one-and-a-half-pound loaf of bread.

I bought a loaf of bread for $7 today. $294 for 42 loaves of bread if they cost $7. The farmer gets $4.86 minus the storage fee. He is also the one who grows the wheat. The one who is a steward of the ground the wheat grows in. The one who hires people to help him cut his crop. The one who spends hours on the combine and tractors to feed the world. The one who makes payments on his equipment his whole life, and he makes $4.86 cents per bushel. We are feeding the world, and we can't afford to buy the bread back to make our own sandwich. Things are not right in this world.

I would like to add that the suicide rate for farmers is quite high when things are this bad. Please pray for the farmers who are trying to feed the world.” 
 
A chum recently responded in a similar vein – see below- to his insurance broker when he received notice of yet another increase in his premium for farm vehicles. He certainly makes a fair point which is brilliant, but no doubt will be totally ignored.
 
“Thank you for reminding me and quoting. The increase, I must mention to my buyers of grain … you are part of that when you buy bread or cereal for your breakfast …however grain prices were £122 per ton in 1972 and are now, wait for it - £151 a ton in 2024, some 52 years later. So, on that basis you might like to look back at insurance quotes as they were in 1972 and apply the same maths …. I humbly suggest that your quote may be a little high. I will be in touch”.
 
The short window of dry is well past but did allow John to get one more field planted with winter barley. As the rain lashes down once again, we are having to consider bringing the bullocks in before they make too much mess poaching the fields. Our annual TB test is booked in for next week, and so too is our Red Tractor inspection, which of course we are looking forward to!
 
I am regularly hearing friends and family say, “I wish we could put the clocks back to the good old days.” When I probe deeper and ask when exactly they are talking about, the regular reply is, “Before social media messed up our children’s lives, their heads and mental health. Before we were told what we can and can’t say by the thought police, and when we were allowed to voice our views and disagree with others, in particular the minority of people who consider they have ‘rights’, to silence us and condemn those of us who disagree with having 25+ genders or taking the knee to Black Lives Matter.
 
To unsex loos, men who choose to wear skirts and makeup invading women’s safe hostels, prisons, and changing rooms. Children, some as young as 6 or 7 being told they can identify as cats and dogs or being allowed to change their gender and names without permission or consultation with their parents, whilst being shielded by teaching staff.
 
These are just a few of the concerns expressed and who can blame anyone for raising them. Mind you, most only express such views privately behind closed doors as they are deeply concerned about what could happen to them in the workplace, amongst their peers, clubs or at the school gate, if others were to become aware of such un-PC views.
 
Not so long ago I questioned a friend who has for many years been chairman of a London based national institution, having recently visited to watch a remarkable performance. I asked him why he allowed all the loos to be unisex and expressed disgust that the women had to pass the men relieving themselves in the urinals on their way to the loos and wash basins. He looked sheepish and said, “If I were seen to disagree with this change, the staff, my fellow board members and performers would ensure that I was out on my ear and removed as chairman of this wonderful institution.” He was clearly terrified. How shocking is that?

What ever happened to Rishi Sunak? I know there is a leadership contest but with this leadership vacuum, Keir Starmer and Labour are getting away with murder.
 
Where is the opposition, why is no one calling time on this incompetent, dangerous Government? Day after day they are proving to threaten the UK’s sovereignty and very existence.
 
What right do they have to give up sovereignty of the remote but strategically important cluster of islands in the Indian Ocean which have been under British rule for more than half a century? Handing over the Chagos Islands, including the tropical Diego Garcia, used by the US government as a military base for its navy ships and long-range bomber aircraft, was done without consulting Parliament or the British public. It was certainly not in their General Election Manifesto.
 
It is fairly certain, as noted by those who understand the gravity of the situation Labour have created, that very soon we shall see China manoeuvring into position. Some in the media say that President Biden supported this move, if he did, I would not be surprised if his next move will be to suggest Keir Starmer give away Northern Island; something he has been advocating for decades as he fundamentally hates Great Britain.
 
The announcement made in a joint statement by the UK and Mauritian Prime Ministers and by-passed Parliament, ends decades of often fractious negotiations between the two countries.
 
The US-UK base will remain on Diego Garcia certain for 99 years which will pass in the blink of an eye, just look what happened to Hong Kong. At a time of growing geopolitical rivalries in the region between Western countries, India, and China, what does labour not understand about the increasingly fragile balance of today’s world order?
 
We can expect at the end of the month tax reforms which will hit small businesses, landowners, hardworking farmers, non-domes and just about anyone who puts in a decent day’s work, has created jobs, businesses and already pay hefty taxes. If Starmer and Reeves really believe they are doing this ‘for the country’, they need their heads examined.
 
How long can they go on blaming the Conservative government? They lied about the £22bn black hole which they have themselves created by awarding eye watering wage rises to public service workers at the behest of their union masters. Where was Rishi, he was nowhere to be seen to object to this slur. And where is he now when we need a spokesman to stand up to the mismanagement of our country?
 
The only conservative ‘political’ figure to utter words of wisdom and sound like a leader since the General Election has been Boris. He appeared to speak on behalf of the Tory party on the untimely death of Alex Salmond, with well-chosen words reflecting this controversial Scottish politician, calling him ‘a great political disruptor of the age, charismatic, clever, caustic and fearsome in debate’, adding that he was glad he never managed to break up the Union.
 
His sense of outrage and intellectual understanding of history and outcome following Starmer’s giveaway of the Chagos Islands were spot on. And his overview of some of Starmer’s dodgy decisions during his first 100 days as making the UK look like a banana republic, carries some weight and accuracy.
 
The slow crawl to the finishing line of the two remaining candidates for leader is becoming increasingly painful. Neither shone at the party conference, particularly Jenrick who is grey, pasty, left wing and boring, unlike the sometime front runner James Cleverly who was at least upbeat and disarming, despite his beard. Neither are natural leaders nor will either carry the Tory party into No 10 Downing Street.
 
The best description I have heard so far about Ms Badenoch is, “I think she might be out of her depth and is too 'youthful', the public won't buy into her, nor is she ready.  Also, she has a slightly Angela Rayner-ish tendency to put her foot in it”.  
Kemi’s situation looks similar to William Hague who came to the post to early, was inexperienced, gaff prone and open to ridicule. He has, since being put out of his misery and ours, spent his remaining years wondering just what went wrong.
 
Having taken numerous straw polls at gatherings of party faithful and others, it is clear there is a total lack of interest and disappointment that these two are the best the Westminster Tory MPs can come up with.
 
This mini break from the rain has allowed us to get a few more acres drilled with winter barley, the window for which is rapidly closing. This stop start autumn is once again making us question our cropping plan which seems to change by the week. I dare say we shall be doing our best to source some spring barley seed corn come the New Year, the timing of which will be just as weather related as has disrupted operations this autumn.

Things were looking up, we thought we were at last about to have a dry autumn - an Indian summer - allowing us to get winter crops sown in ideal conditions. Well, it lasted the best part of a week during which we worked all hours God gave us to get the winter barley drilled. But did it last? Hell no, the rain came fast and furiously, flooding some parts of the country yet again and bringing autumn cultivations to a standstill.
 
The ground is already becoming waterlogged, and as the temperature drops, it will take days to dry out if it ever does stop raining which looks unlikely over the next few weeks. Last year when the rain started in September, it didn’t stop until May.
 
The decision to cut back on our arable acreage does make perfect sense. Having struggled to beat the weather for the past three years and lost that battle, this last year in particular, it was time to make changes.
 
Converting arable fields to herbal leys for the cattle, and wild bird seed mix for the birds; paying special attention to the re-establishment of Turtledoves, Curlews and other species which have become rare in our part of the country, is now our objective. These changes seem far more appealing than watching one’s arable crops rot in the ground whilst under water all winter and wishing we had planted rice.
 
Having been particularly inspired by a presentation on Operation Turtledoves given by Shivan Thevar at a CLM Middle Ouse Cluster Group gathering recently, I am even more determined and excited to press ahead along these lines.
 
So, Michael Gove the Conservative party’s very own Rasputin is to become editor of The Spectator Magazine, the longest-lived current affairs magazine in history, and the first magazine ever to publish 10,000 issues. Several of Gove’s colleagues, Boris in particular, to this day carry scars on their back because of his treachery.
 
Boris when editor, (1999-205) increased the Spectators’ subscription to a record breaking 70,000 per year and was described as “A colourful editor”.
 
Matthew d’Ancona ended the traditional summary of the week’s events, “Portrait of the Week”, not a popular move; one which hopefully Michael Gove will reverse, along with recruiting a columnist with special interest in ‘Countryside Matters’.
 
Fraser Nelson The Spectator’s current editor, in place for the past 15 years, who replaced d’Ancona in 2009, will continue to write as an associate editor, at the request of Michael Gove. And former editor Charles Moore (1984-1990) will become non-executive chairman after the departure of Andrew Neil.
 
What is wrong with this labour government? Well, silly question as we could all write a book about that. But what I want to know is why Keir Starmer was unable to function when sitting by the ever-watchful portrait of Margaret Thatcher. Was it because she made him feel inadequate and out of his depth?
 
And what about Rachel Reeves who has ordered the removal of all pictures of men from the state room at 11 Downing Street. She recently announced that every painting in the room would be replaced by artwork by or of a woman. This plan has quite understandably been dismissed as ‘pathetic gesture politics’, which no doubt plenty would agree with.
 
The serialisation in the Daily Mail and Sunday Mail of Boris’s political memoir ‘Unleashed’ is revealing and confirms what many of us knew to be fact as opposed to the fiction put out and about by his enemies as they did their best, and indeed succeeded to remove him from No 10 Downing Street. Had they not been successful I am quite sure we would not be facing a possible ten years of this left-wing Labour government, hell bent upon bankrupting and destroying the very fabric of our great country.
 
Finally, as we wait to hear if the Chancellor intends to scrap inheritance tax relief for agricultural land, it is worth noting that if she does, this could well lead to the death of family farms. Ending the exemptions on inheritance tax for farmland is supposedly among the money-saving measures that Ms Reeves is considering in her upcoming Budget. Such a move would force many landowners to sell some or all their farmland to cover the taxes.
 
This move would result in less and less valuable agricultural land able to support food production. Removing the tax exemption is also expected to hit tenant farmers particularly hard, as landowners have little incentive to keep their property in agricultural use.
 
As the CLA president, Victoria Vyvyan said: “The Government has said it won’t increase taxes on working people. Farmers are working hard around the clock feeding the nation and looking after the environment, and uncertainty over tax is one of the most pressing challenges facing the rural sector”.

TB has destroyed farming families, their way of life and in many cases generations of carefully managed pedigree livestock across the country. Labour’s determination to jump on Brian May’s TB bandwagon blaming the cattle and farmers for its spread, rather than recognising the science which identifies badgers as the catalyst to the spread, will only inflame resentment and make the situation for desperate farmers worse.
 
Back in the day, before badgers became protected species, TB and badgers were kept under control. Farms with TB attested herds had double fencing around their perimeters, cattle were isolated, on farm biosecurity was second nature, and herds so much smaller and more manageable.
 
Since badgers became protected species, herds have grown larger and the relaxed movement of livestock has spread countrywide resulting in the instances of TB having increased relentlessly.
 
Both the badger and vulnerable herds must be addressed, and a way found to eliminate this dreadful disease. The government and people like Brian May are not the people to get this right, it is the veterinary experts, scientists and above all the livestock farmers who must be allowed to find the answers.
 
So, Sue Gray has not so far got her way regarding sourcing government funds for the multi-million-pound redevelopment of the Casement Park Stadium in Belfast. Northern Ireland secretary Hilary Benn has I think, put a stop on that.
 
It is questionable as to whether Sue Gray a close friend of senior Sinn Fein politicians, including Conor Murphy, a former IRA member, and apparently President Biden who is also an IRA and Republican sympathiser, whose mother hated our late Queen and the monarchy with a vengeance, should be paid by the taxpayer and almost more importantly be allowed to attend meetings of the National Security Council.
 
Keir Starmer’s judgement is quite obviously questionable, just look at his gaffs since walking into No 10. By putting the security of the country at risk by trusting this woman who is we are informed, to be paid a salary above his, is unacceptable and I would suggest demonstrates his weakness – who is actually running the country?
 
There are hustings across the country at which the candidates for the leadership of the Conservative party are making their pitch to party members and the public. It is hardly surprising that these events, their begging letters to party members, column inches across the press and interviews, are not exciting any ripples of enthusiasm or attention from anyone much.
 
With the greatest respect to each candidate, what a disappointing bunch. Not one has any leadership skills let alone charisma, and amongst them the only notable facts worth bearing in mind are; their lack of experience - one is clearly not a conservative - none stand out as being able to embrace what is now a dysfunctional political party - one is worryingly divisive and opinionated - another although a nice guy has confidence issues and a loose tongue - a third is flaky on too many issues and has made some very questionable decisions when a Minister - a fourth is a remainer which in my book and many others, is not a good start.
 
All have worryingly little experience of government; just look at what happened when David Cameron became leader on the back of making a speech at conference ‘without notes’, an utter disaster. None stand out as being ‘special’. None are brave, but they clearly want to be ‘loved’. They are all ‘pack’ animals, not a quality required or even helpful for leadership of any party, let alone Prime Minister, as Keir Starmer is demonstrating admirably. 

Sniping from the sidelines when in opposition is good sport and easy. But, when they find themselves in the very position of those they have spent the past decade criticising and telling the public they have all the answers to: fix the Economy, NHS, Social Services, protect the old and vulnerable, sort Net Zero, ensure Food Sustainability and protect the countryside, improve education, fix the wars in Ukraine, and Gaza and every other world problem, it would seem that Keir Starmer and his gang are already falling short by a mile.
 
Leadership is clearly not one of Starmer’s life skills nor is oratory. What he can be is devious, spin on a sixpence, flip flop his policies, bore for England, hide behind his Chief of Staff, Ms Gray, upset over 10 million pensioners and householders who currently receive a Pensioner Cost of Living Payment of £300 alongside their Winter Fuel Payment, whilst falsely blaming the previous government for everything.
 
No doubt Starmer and his Chancellor are gambling on their belief that many pensioners don’t vote Labour, and some will have died well before the next General Election. So, robbing the elderly and vulnerable to enable them to pay off train drivers already on a minimum of £60k a year, and other public service workers at the behest of their paymaster union bosses and the deputy PM Angela Raynor, clearly appeals to Starmer and Reeves. One can only wonder how long before the wheels come off this runaway train before it hits the buffers.
 
What no one is saying including the BBC and political journalists, is that had Labour been in Government these past years during which the country coped with the financial implications of the pandemic, world recession and other difficulties, the UK and its finances and the health of the nation would be in a far worse state than it is now.
 
Whilst all this is going on there is already deep concern amongst Britain’s remaining steel production plants as reports that over 2,500 jobs could be lost before Christmas. Clearly those workers should worry but so should the country for economic and national security reasons, as pointed out be Priti Patel last week.
 
During the General Election Labour repeatedly told us they would support the steel industry. However, since Keir Starmer walked into No 10 with the support of 34% of those who voted, keeping in mind that over 80% of those eligible to vote did not vote Labour, they have gone very quiet on this.
 
Instead of coming into office prioritising and giving certainty to the steel industry, they have spent their first weeks strangling enterprise and sabotaging the prospects for future economic growth. They have found £10bn in public sector pay to appease the trade unions but failed to finalise a £1bn package to secure the future of domestic steel production.
 
The result of Labour’s disinterest in British steel, will see China dumping cheap, poor-quality steel into the UK thus undermining our national security. China is already targeting cyber-attacks
towards us, undermining our democracy and rule of law. If labour fails our steelworkers and allows our domestic steel production to collapse, they give China greater influence over our economic wellbeing, a stranglehold over our economic security and put the nation’s security at risk.
 
Angela Rayner really is John Prescott in drag. She has picked up his baton to bury our green and pleasant land beneath, tarmac, concrete and houses. She is already making plans to introduce legislation which will permit permanent traveller sites on green belt land as she plans to ‘shake up’ planning laws.
 
The Housing Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister plans to allow travellers access to green fields where councils cannot guarantee a long-term supply of available land.  As has been said by the shadow housing secretary: “It is clear that Ms Rayner is prioritising traveller sites over family homes and the protection of green spaces.”
 
Labour’s plans to target the wealthy, entrepreneurs, landowners, business creators and large employers is already resulting in talented people who are responsible for propping up the economy by paying their taxes and creating jobs, making a quick exit. There are reports of several billionaires, of which there are actually very few, fleeing Labour’s Britain.
 
Starmer claims that his main priority is to boost economic growth. If it increases taxes on the wealthy, such as capital gains tax and inheritance tax, they will go elsewhere. Labour is not encouraging economic growth but by doing the opposite by increasing tax, regulations and red tape, obsession with Net Zero, encouraging working from home and a four-day week and adding 20% Vat onto school fees, they will soon find they have driven away the very people who prop up the economy.
 
Already London estate agents are reporting that the high-end housing market is in decline as too many tycoons are selling up. If too many high net worth wealth creators in banking, asset management and private equity executives depart, as Luke Johnson writes, “The decline in tax, investment and job creation would be precipitous.”

The Danish Government has put a carbon tax on farmers who will pay the equivalent of £34.04 per ton of emitted CO2 by 2030, increasing to £85.11 per ton by 2035.
 
A basic deduction of 60 per cent would be applied to the average emissions from different types of livestock, providing an economic advantage to climate-efficient farmers.
 
Peter Kiaer, chairman of Danish Agriculture group Baeredygtigt Landbrug, which was not involved in the negotiations, said: “We believe that the agreement is pure bureaucracy, which is totally unnecessary. We recognise that there is a climate problem, which Danish farmers will help solve. But this will not solve the problems, because it will put a stick in the wheel of agriculture’s green investments.”
 
It looks as if several British environmental groups have already picked up on this and are even now lobbying the Labour Government to follow suit. No doubt this will become another ‘stick’ with which to hit livestock farmers.
 
It is reported that David Miliband is becoming increasingly isolated from his fellow ministers as they recognise what a dog’s breakfast he is making of his ‘Environmental’ brief, details of which are regularly reported in the press.
 
Sue Gray has received much attention with headlines such as: ‘Meet the woman who really runs Britain’, and ‘PM kept in Dark by aide Sue Gray’.  Considering they are both about as unpopular as each other, and out of touch with reality, this matter should cause the British public a great deal of concern.
 
Sue Gray we must not forget conducted the ‘investigation’ into what Boris did or didn’t do during lock down. As was clear at the time because she said so, she had decided even before her investigation, that she would find the then PM guilty whatever the outcome of her enquiry.
 
Since then, she has disclosed her true allegiance was always to the Labour party; having jumped ship from civil servant to being Keir Starmer’s gate keeper and side kick. I suspect the history books will eventually reveal that much of her report on Boris was sheer fantasy, a mixture of smoke and mirrors. She certainly had an axe to grind and an intension to cause Boris as much damage as she could.
 
It is interesting to know that some forty years ago she gave up a well-paid Whitehall job and moved to Ulster to become the landlady of the Cove Bar, situated close to the border with the Irish Republic, an area so dangerous for the Army and police that it was known as ‘bandit country’. However, Sue Gray appeared to have been protected and given ‘safe passage’ by the IRA.
 
There are now also questions being asked as to why the PM’s top aide wants to plough £310m of taxpayers’ cash into a place synonymous with evil. The derelict Casement Park football stadium in ‘IRA country’ where in March 1988 two British soldiers David Wood and David Howes who strayed into the path of an IRA funeral procession were hauled from their car. They were then savagely beaten, stripped, and thrown over the stadium wall with a 9ft drop on the other side. From there they were bundled into a taxi and driven to nearly wasteland where they were shot at point blank range; six bullets in one, five in the other. The events of that day rank among the grimmest of the atrocities.
 
An army helicopter crew hovering at 500ft transmitted what was happening in real time to the police and military commanders. TV and media crews on the ground were powerless witnesses of the attack.
 
This incident was recently recalled as a furious row erupted over the role of Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, accused of ‘subverting’ ministers in efforts to pour taxpayer’s funds into rebuilding the now derelict stadium so it can host matches in the Euro 2028 football championship.
 
Many are questioning not just the wisdom of ploughing cash into a place synonymous with evil but also of supporting a development that goes to the very heart of the divided Province.
As the Prime Minister’s closest adviser, Ms Gray wields more influence over the Cabinet than she ever did as a mandarin. And in Northern Ireland, where she ran the pub, that authority is being keenly noted.
 
Sinn Fein’s economy minister Conor Murphy, who was convicted of IRA membership and possession of explosives and to whom Gray is said to be ‘very close’, recently said: ‘With Sue Gray, who was previously from here and is now part of the Prime Minister’s office . . . I think at least we have a friend in court, so we can certainly have access . . . directly to Downing Street.’
 
Gray worked closely with Sinn Fein when she was permanent secretary in Northern Ireland’s department of finance and she and her husband still have a home in a County Down beauty spot. We can but hope that M15 are keeping a very close eye on this influential member of the PM’s team.
 
On the streets of Belfast, the issues are stark and concerning. For many on the Unionist side say they would be fearful of going to watch a football match in Casement Park,
One person said: ‘I would not feel safe setting foot in that stadium unless I had a team of armed protection officers, and I also feel it would be hugely disrespectful to those two young soldiers who were so brutally beaten to death.
 
‘This is a terrible misstep by the Starmer government. Even Tony Blair, for all his faults over the peace process, would, I think, run a million miles from this.’

It is interesting to watch the psychology and thinking of the new labour government. It is clear they consider the elderly to be expendable as many don’t vote labour and some will have died by the time of the next General Election. As they freeze during the winter months with winter fuel allowance removed from around 10million pensioners, no doubt this will hastening their mortality, perhaps this is what labour is hoping for.
 
Angela Rayner really is the new John Prescott, not just in the way she struggles with her vocabulary, but with her plans to concrete over as much of the green belt, particularly in the Southeast, as she can get away with. Yes, the housing stock needs expanding but not at any cost. Destroying the countryside, reducing the acreage of productive agricultural land, obliterating existing homeowners’ views, and overextending local infrastructure is not the ideal way forward.
 
The Chancellor always was hell bent on raising taxes despite her countless denials during the election. But now as she repeatedly blames the previous government for ‘labour inheriting the weakest economy since the second World War’, a view hotly disputed by Andrew Bailey the Governor of the Bank of England, including the mythical £22billion black hole she has clearly invented, if not created. Mrs Reeves plans to squeeze taxes out of those who can ill afford to pay. Her plan is to bolster Labour’s chances of winning the next GE by handing out to public sector workers inflation busting pay rises of up to 6 per cent, costing the taxpayer an extra £10 billion, as demanded by their union mates to keep them on side.
 
Schools in the independent sector now face having to charge 20% Vat on fees which will result in many closing, particularly those which currently support children with special needs and families who sacrifice much to send their children to these schools. State schools which are already bursting at the seams will either turn away these children or increase class sizes to unacceptable levels. Some pupils will cope but many will struggle in this environment and fall back in learning and confidence.
 
Instead of raising the standard of education it will most likely be reduced to the lowest possible common denominator. The chances for children to aspire to reach their potential and goals, will be reduced, but along the way they will be brainwashed into believing not one of them should try to do better than their peers; mediocre will be their direction of travel.
 
So, houses will spring up inappropriately despite objections from the locals. Rich agricultural land will be covered in solar panels and on shore wind farms, but despite this the lights will undoubtedly go out. The plans for going ‘all electric, Net Zero’ through renewable energy is never going to work. Check out all the cars parked at airports, factories, and other multi car parking facilities; and think about what will happen when all these vehicles and everything else go all electric, do we really think the electricity grid will cope?
 
A friend recently tried to get a doctor’s appointment as he urgently needed a prescription for specialist pain relief; the level of pain he was experiencing untouched by over-the-counter medication. The pain was preventing him from functioning normally as a working farmer and deprived him of sleep most nights. It was imperative that he keep active, and mentally alert at this particularly busy time of year.
 
On visiting the doctor’s surgery early one morning in the hope of getting an appointment that day, he was told that the first available appointment was a telephone call with a GP in mid-August. The receptionist suggested he could telephone before 8am any morning when he could pick up an appointment that day. When he pointed out that it was exactly 7.55am so what about an appointment, the receptionist laughed and said, “So it is, but this week we have several doctors on holiday, sorry.”
 
My friend then asked if she thought it acceptable for him to wait two and a half weeks to speak to a GP regarding pain relief which was so severe that he was at times in danger of blowing his brains out, particular at night. The receptionist replied, “There is nothing I can do, let’s hope not”.
 
So, is this the direction primary care is heading? As GPs decide to reduce the number of patients they will see each day, and already never make house visits and don’t work at weekends, what about the patients? As most patients cope with all the above and never see the same doctor twice, is it surprising that the health of the nation is deteriorating?
 
Oxford University is about to elect a new Chancellor. Those on the list, including William Hague and Peter Mandelson, look tame to me. I would suggest that Oxford needs someone with a fire in their belly. common sense, is willing to stand up to the liberal, left-wing wok brigade which has taken control of so many of our universities. I would propose JK Rowling who is not on the list but should be, as the one to choose. She would shake up Oxford and ensure undergraduates emerge as normal human beings prepared to take responsibility for their actions, work hard, defend their country, and set a good example to those following in their footsteps.
 
As towns and cities are trashed and descend into violent thuggery with many police forces being overwhelmed by these multiple violent gangs’ hell bent upon causing havoc and as much damage as possible, I ask where are the water cannon so wisely purchased by Boris Johnson and foolishly sold at a huge discount by the hapless Theresa May?
 
If these criminals knew they would face these vehicles one would hope they may decide to stay at home. However, one thought does persist; if those boarding dodgy inflatables to cross the channel were informed that they would not be welcomed with open arms as has been the case to date, but they were in danger of being firebombed, perhaps killed or assaulted by angry thugs, would they be so keen to get on board but think twice before setting off for our shores? Is the government thinking about this?

So much for the King’s Speech. If those who voted labour expected a new dawn as this labour government promised to make life better, freer and more prosperous, the rose-tinted glasses and scales from their eyes must surely by now have slipped away.
 
They have at one stroke increased bureaucracy, added more regulation, including for small businesses, industry, sports clubs and local hostelries. This equates to more costs, and no doubt many going out of business, increasing unemployment.
 
There is the ‘Renter’s Rights Bill’ which the previous government attempted to water down but never became law prior to the GE, which discriminates against landlords by assuming all landlords are bad. Labour will push it through resulting in privately owned housing will go on the market which will reduce the availability of housing for rent in the private sector. 
 
What on earth Starmer was thinking when he decided to hand the Environment portfolio to Ed Miliband is a mystery but as columnists Guy Adams said, ‘One day Starmer will wonder aloud why he ever gave this one-man wrecking ball the job.’ Already his interventions in the North Sea and Cumbria have reduced investment in this vital sector. This one-man wrecking ball will result in the lights going out and inflated energy prices.
 
Great British Energy will end up delivering a Great British disaster. It sounds impressive but has clearly not been thought it through. Labour says they will achieve Net Zero by 2030, a target which most in the industry say is unachievable and absurd. There are no plans to push ahead with nuclear or uphold current UK oil and gas supplies which will be turned off, and most of our coal fired power stations have already been demolished. So, thousands will be put out of work and out of necessity we will be importing energy from Russia. What a fiasco.
 
Starmer is now cosying up to his European mates hoping to ease the UK back into the EU. What does he not understand about Brexit – the people voted to leave and thank goodness for that. His desire to re-connect with the EU will see access to British fishing waters opened to foreign vessels, and as German Chancellor Olaf Sholz has already said, they want ‘greater access to Britain for young Europeans - open borders.’. It is clear Starmer will also be prepared to sacrifice the sovereignty of Gibraltar to ease his way back into the EU.
 
The Church of England has decided that a person’s sex is assigned at birth rather than being a biological fact. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has backed a document which is being circulated to teachers to challenge ‘outdated terms’.  As Lucy Marsh, of the Family Education Trust, said, ‘It is extremely concerning that the Church of England does not recognise that biological sex is immutable. Sex is not ‘assigned at birth’, it is determined at conception and recorded at birth. These are biological, unchangeable facts.
 
What is going on with the C of E? It is noticeable that since Justin Welby became Archbishop the decline in members has escalated. Last year when asked about the ‘alarming drop’ in attendance at C of E services during his ten years in office – by one third, the Archbishop said, “The decline is something that in the end, even if I am not responsible for personally, I count as a failure”. Is this yet another case where a lack of vison, inspiration, charisma and that vital leadership skill so lacking in so many sectors raises its head? Is it time for the Archbishop to be turned out to grass, with actual sheep as opposed to the C of E ‘flock’.
 
Agriculture remains the most dangerous of professions. More people die or are seriously injured on farms than any other profession, including the construction industry. However, despite the NFU, press and Health and Safety Executive, warning farmers of the risks they face daily, fatalities continue to rise year by year.
 
Figures report ‘Fatal injuries in agriculture, forestry, and fishing in Great Britain 2022/23, show 27 people were killed as a result of farming and other agricultural-related activities during the year. Farming has the worst rate (per 100,000 workers) of all the main industry sectors – around 21 times as high as the all-industry rate, older workers (45+) accounting for 80%, the youngest was a farmer’s 3-year-old child.
 
As we enter the harvesting period of what has been a terrible year, when farmers scurry about hoping the get crops in while a window in the weather allows, the danger of accidents increases 100%. Keep safe.

We have had our first weddings of the season. At last, some dry and sunny days, probably not unrelated to the many prayers delivered up by friends and families.
 
It was a first for us when Olivia arrived at the reception riding her horse side saddle; her beautiful wedding gown and veil streaming out behind as it was caught by the blustery wind. The Matthew walked beside her with their 9-gun dogs, snoopy, and a sheep dog. The result was the most amazing photo opportunity as they posed on the lawn in front of a gorgeous rhododendron and the Union and Ukrainian flags fluttering in the breeze.
 
Once the horse had returned to the farm, the couple were saluted by a guard of honour of twelve guns made up of friends and family. A surprise arranged by the bride, for the groom.
 
We wish Olivia and Matthew much love and happiness.
 
I have never known the weather and field conditions to be like they are this June. You cannot make good hay when it is cold, and rain is threatening as is predicted over the next couple of weeks. There is far too much grass in the grazing fields, so we are keen to cut some for hay rather than allow the cattle to trample it under foot.
 
Looking on the bright side, thanks to the wet conditions the herbal ley we planted is up and looking healthy. It is often dodgy doing so at this time of year when the chance of a drought is a risk, but not this year.
 
As they say, farmers are rarely happy, but I think with years such as this, we do have cause for a little moan.
 
I have been writing this column since 2007. I believe now is the time to bow out gracefully.
 
I never have conformed to being PC, and I do believe in free speech. I apologies to those who may have been upset by some of my topics, which caused them to complain to the editors. I am sure those who now take over my column will be far more professional, PC and conform to the rules and regulations.
 
It has been a pleasure to be associated with the West Sussex Gazette, the Editor in chief Gary Shipton, and the sub-editors, all of whom have been charming and very tolerant.
​
My thanks also to the many readers who have contacted me over the years, for your kind and positive messages.

​Will Thursday be remembered for when the British voting public gambled the county’s future by putting their faith in Keir Starmer and a left-wing Labour Government, or will they come to their senses when they enter the voting booth and do what is best in the long run and vote conservative?
 
The prospect of waking up on Friday morning to find Starmer heading into No 10 Downing Street is too grim to contemplate. The damage he and his chums will wreak on the country, the economy, our greatest institutions, and the independence we fought so hard to gain by exiting the EU, as they squander the opportunities and freedom gained through Brexit, will be terrible.
 
Those who think the country is in a mess now following the pandemic, the cost-of-living crises, and the war in Ukraine, will be nothing compared to the mess Starmer will create over the next five years’, if not before, if he gets the keys to No 10.
 
David Dimbleby said last weekend, “It’s the quality of today’s crop (of politicians) that has declined.” He is quite right across all political parties, although there are of course some exceptions. But look at the choice of leaders – is that the best the country can come up with?
 
So, what are we left with? There are many excellent hard-working MPs who work night and day representing their constituents. I do wonder why anyone would want to become an MP in today’s world unless this really is their calling. They get paid peanuts, the hours they keep are gruelling, they work most weekends, the toll on family life and the intrusion from the press and media, and increasingly social media, is relentless and in many cases destructive.
 
The chance of being promoted to a ministerial job, leading to the Cabinet is remote, and only adds to their workload if it does happen. There they will find a mix of talents some being mediocre, others useless. Also, a lack of leadership skills or experience regarding their brief. This was evident as Boris stepped up to rally the troops this week. His charisma, rhetoric and leadership skills were obvious and just go to highlight the lack of these qualities amongst the hierarchy of the party.
 
We have been fortunate in Sussex to have some exceptional MPs which is why it is vital to support and vote for the candidates who have been reliable, hardworking and dedicated to the job in hand. My local MPs Maria Caulfield, and Mims Davies and others, are worth their weight in gold.
 
No one should be swayed by calls to vote tactically which could result in excellent hard-working MPs losing their seat to some inexperienced shoe-in who is more interested in ‘ousting the conservatives’ and sitting on the green benches than working on behalf of their constituents.
 
We hear talk of strategic voting amongst the Lib Dems and Greens which is what happened during the District Council elections across Sussex. What we ended up with are some councils being run by inexperienced individuals with political motives but little practical sense or genuine commitment. They haven’t got a clue as to how to manage the budgets, planning, and welfare, let alone getting our dustbins emptied. Do we really want to repeat this on a national scale? Let us hope the British public understand the long-term implications and how important it is to think very carefully before placing that powerful X in the box.
 

Will Thursday be remembered for when the British voting public gambled the county’s future by putting their faith in Keir Starmer and a left-wing Labour Government, or will they come to their senses when they enter the voting booth and do what is best in the long run and vote conservative?
 
The prospect of waking up on Friday morning to find Starmer heading into No 10 Downing Street is too grim to contemplate. The damage he and his chums will wreak on the country, the economy, our greatest institutions, and the independence we fought so hard to gain by exiting the EU, as they squander the opportunities and freedom gained through Brexit, will be terrible.
 
Those who think the country is in a mess now following the pandemic, the cost-of-living crises, and the war in Ukraine, will be nothing compared to the mess Starmer will create over the next five years’, if not before, if he gets the keys to No 10.
 
David Dimbleby said last weekend, “It’s the quality of today’s crop (of politicians) that has declined.” He is quite right across all political parties, although there are of course some exceptions. But look at the choice of leaders – is that the best the country can come up with?
 
So, what are we left with? There are many excellent hard-working MPs who work night and day representing their constituents. I do wonder why anyone would want to become an MP in today’s world unless this really is their calling. They get paid peanuts, the hours they keep are gruelling, they work most weekends, the toll on family life and the intrusion from the press and media, and increasingly social media, is relentless and in many cases destructive.
 
The chance of being promoted to a ministerial job, leading to the Cabinet is remote, and only adds to their workload if it does happen. There they will find a mix of talents some being mediocre, others useless. Also, a lack of leadership skills or experience regarding their brief. This was evident as Boris stepped up to rally the troops this week. His charisma, rhetoric and leadership skills were obvious and just go to highlight the lack of these qualities amongst the hierarchy of the party.
 
We have been fortunate in Sussex to have some exceptional MPs which is why it is vital to support and vote for the candidates who have been reliable, hardworking and dedicated to the job in hand. My local MPs Maria Caulfield, and Mims Davies and others, are worth their weight in gold.
 
No one should be swayed by calls to vote tactically which could result in excellent hard-working MPs losing their seat to some inexperienced shoe-in who is more interested in ‘ousting the conservatives’ and sitting on the green benches than working on behalf of their constituents.
 
We hear talk of strategic voting amongst the Lib Dems and Greens which is what happened during the District Council elections across Sussex. What we ended up with are some councils being run by inexperienced individuals with political motives but little practical sense or genuine commitment. They haven’t got a clue as to how to manage the budgets, planning, and welfare, let alone getting our dustbins emptied. Do we really want to repeat this on a national scale? Let us hope the British public understand the long-term implications and how important it is to think very carefully before placing that powerful X in the box.
 
To read back copies of Carola’s columns 2007 - 2024, go to: www.carolagodmanirvine.com

Will Thursday be remembered for when the British voting public gambled the county’s future by putting their faith in Keir Starmer and a left-wing Labour Government, or will they come to their senses when they enter the voting booth and do what is best in the long run and vote conservative?
 
The prospect of waking up on Friday morning to find Starmer heading into No 10 Downing Street is too grim to contemplate. The damage he and his chums will wreak on the country, the economy, our greatest institutions, and the independence we fought so hard to gain by exiting the EU, as they squander the opportunities and freedom gained through Brexit, will be terrible.
 
Those who think the country is in a mess now following the pandemic, the cost-of-living crises, and the war in Ukraine, will be nothing compared to the mess Starmer will create over the next five years’, if not before, if he gets the keys to No 10.
 
David Dimbleby said last weekend, “It’s the quality of today’s crop (of politicians) that has declined.” He is quite right across all political parties, although there are of course some exceptions. But look at the choice of leaders – is that the best the country can come up with?
 
So, what are we left with? There are many excellent hard-working MPs who work night and day representing their constituents. I do wonder why anyone would want to become an MP in today’s world unless this really is their calling. They get paid peanuts, the hours they keep are gruelling, they work most weekends, the toll on family life and the intrusion from the press and media, and increasingly social media, is relentless and in many cases destructive.
 
The chance of being promoted to a ministerial job, leading to the Cabinet is remote, and only adds to their workload if it does happen. There they will find a mix of talents some being mediocre, others useless. Also, a lack of leadership skills or experience regarding their brief. This was evident as Boris stepped up to rally the troops this week. His charisma, rhetoric and leadership skills were obvious and just go to highlight the lack of these qualities amongst the hierarchy of the party.
 
We have been fortunate in Sussex to have some exceptional MPs which is why it is vital to support and vote for the candidates who have been reliable, hardworking and dedicated to the job in hand. My local MPs Maria Caulfield, and Mims Davies and others, are worth their weight in gold.
 
No one should be swayed by calls to vote tactically which could result in excellent hard-working MPs losing their seat to some inexperienced shoe-in who is more interested in ‘ousting the conservatives’ and sitting on the green benches than working on behalf of their constituents.
 
We hear talk of strategic voting amongst the Lib Dems and Greens which is what happened during the District Council elections across Sussex. What we ended up with are some councils being run by inexperienced individuals with political motives but little practical sense or genuine commitment. They haven’t got a clue as to how to manage the budgets, planning, and welfare, let alone getting our dustbins emptied. Do we really want to repeat this on a national scale? Let us hope the British public understand the long-term implications and how important it is to think very carefully before placing that powerful X in the box.

I have just returned from a weekend in Norfolk; what a difference between the crops in that county to ours. I had a job concentrating on the road ahead as I looked across field after field with bumper crops of wheat, barley and potatoes all looking tall, healthy. The Norfolk farmers I met were all cock a hoop with expectations a good harvest while at the same time not looking too happy knowing we are not in the same boat down south. Having lost at least 75% of our arable crops over winter and what is left will be disappointing, we face a third disappointing harvest.
 
Sticking to the rural theme, why is no one talking about labour’s Keir Starmer being a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The man is a left wing socialist, a big supporter of Jeremy Corbyn, an enthusiast for huge tax rises, the EU, doesn’t know what a woman is and will allow men to claim to be women on a whim so they can intimidate and threaten women and girls. Also, as all socialists, believes the government can spend our money better than we can. He is making out he has conservative values being pro wealth creation and business - really?
 
He appears to have difficulty recognising the difference between facts and fiction and has a vivid imagination regarding his capabilities as he flip flops according to which way the wind is blowing, as he tries to win favour with the public.
 
With the greatest respect to those intending to vote labour, it is worth noting the polling pundits tell us that voting intensions often depend upon education. Well, you don’t have to be the sharpest knife in the box to recall labour have always left the country on the brink of financial collapse which the Tories then have had to pick up. They tax the public until the ’pips squeak’, they hate anyone who aspires to become successful, build a business, educate their children privately, take out private medical insurance and generally be independent of the state. Why would anyone believe labour will improve the country and its prosperity when their intension is to reduce everyone to lowest common denominator.
 
I do sympathise with those who have serious doubts about Rishi Sunak – me too. As Chancellor his decisions were questionable particularly when giving away billions to undeserving non-existent small businesses and individuals, during the pandemic. No doubt he was trying to woo the public to like and forgive him as he stabbed Boris in the back. However, following the election, whatever the outcome, we can be sure the party will remove him as leader, if he holds his seat which is doubtful, and hopefully replace him with someone with charisma and leadership skills – if there are any by then.
 
Following the General Election, one of the first decisions to be made by the incoming government will be to select which of the six nuclear companies which will submit their final bids to the design competition for small nuclear reactors (SNRs). The process is now urgent and decades overdue.
 
Amongst those companies is Rolls Royce which is according to its chief executive already 18 months ahead of its competitors which include GE-Hitachi, Westinghouse, EDF, Holtec and NuScale. The competition is being run by Great British Nuclear (GBN), and as Tufan Erginbilgic, the chief executive of Rolls-Royce has said, ‘once the decision is made funding should be awarded quickly and tangible progress must be made on choosing sites for the first prototypes.
 
Sussex has some exceptionally perfect and practical sites which I hope will be considered. SMRs will potentially revolutionise the nuclear industry and decarbonise the electricity grid, which is why these companies are racing to become the first to commercialise the technology.
 
The worry is that the General Election will delay making this important decision, and no one really knowns whether labour, if they win, recognises the urgency, or has the desire to take SNRs seriously. 

Never mind whether it was right or wrong for the PM to call the election for 6th July, what I and countless other conservatives are asking is what party should we be voting for? It is clear that Sunak and most of his cabinet are not conservatives. Since they repeatedly stabbed Boris in the back, the one person who does have leadership skills, charisma and a vision, the party lost its Conservative values, direction, appeal, and electability.
 
We are told the conservatives won the red wall seats in the 2019 General Election; no, they did not, it was Boris who won the voter’s trust. Had he remained in situ we would have moved forward taking advantage of Brexit. The country would have had a credible leader and I suspect Labour would be 20 points behind in the polls. His enemies, the media, Europhiles and the left did an excellent job painting him as dishonest, when nothing could have been further from the truth.
 
I feel sorry for hard working proper Conservative MPs who slave away week after week working in their constituencies pushing against the tide, trying to sell a reason to support a party which I suspect they no longer recognise. These are the people we will be voting for not the so-called leadership.
 
What a pity Rishi Sunak did not activate the plan to revive national service before now. This is a plan which most people, except the lefties & his political rivals, will support. I have advocated the introduction of national service in the UK since my visit to Singapore in 2018. There, young men, and women sign up for a compulsory two years. They are recruited to the armed services, police, as border guards or customs officers. Some return for training each year for the following ten years and must be prepared to be called up at any time.
 
There is no need to activate a Royal Commission to mull over the idea which would take months if not years. Get the blueprint from Singapore and go for it. So far, the PM’s plan sounds a bit timid but trawl down the system used in Singapore and the resulting transformation of the young will be remarkable.
 
Already we hear senior men in the military criticising the idea. No doubt they are concerned about manpower and costs. But looking towards the end game we can look forward to generations of young people who are less likely to get into trouble, remain workshy, ignorant, and useless to society.
 
National service will ensure there is also integration of communities, races, and social backgrounds. Mix them up and they will learn to get along. Teach them how to accept discipline, structure, and hard work. Some of it will stick and they will learn to respect others, and above all themselves.
 
In Singapore following national service many decide to sign up permanently with the armed services, the police, health care, border force, police, charities or in education. They accept discipline, order, and develop a work ethic plus much more besides. So here at last is a policy which should inspire the public to put their X against the conservative candidate on their ballot paper.
 
As children we very quickly learnt that it was wise to see all, hear all and say nothing – well, very little as we learnt to understand our place within our family’s hierarchy and eventually amongst our peers and society.
 
As we began to find our feet and indeed our voices, with our parent’s approval and encouragement we started to make our mark, have opinions, and allow our characters to emerge and grow, hopefully having absorbed some wisdom whilst watching, listening, and reading. We were then able to say what we thought and enter constructive discussions with knowledge and confidence.

That was I believe how things used to be. Today it seems many young people do little listening and even less learning. They develop opinions, much of which they pick up from their peers and from social media which are often wrong and posted with little knowledge of true facts. A good example being the ‘useful idiots’ demonstrating in support of Hamas’s attack on October 7. As Andrew Neil points out, “the more elite the British University, the more stupid the students”.
 
It would appear that they decide what they do and don’t want to hear, shutting out the opportunity to discuss intelligently, and debate subjects of all persuasions, They have pre-determined blinkered and narrow perspectives, and anything other than their exclusive view now ‘offends’ their sensitivity.
 
Caught up into this world are the students who are trashing their university campuses, stopping others from learning, abusing and threatening Jewish students with their antisemitic rhetoric and causing offense. The same happened during the riots and instability caused by ‘black lives matter’.
 
Somewhat surprisingly these white middle class British students are wearing the keffiyeh headdress as worn by the terrorists and their compatriots who massacred the young women and children, and beheaded babies at the Kibbutz music festival. Those they kidnapped are now being returned as decomposing bodies in coffins.
 
Instead of facilitating these people, the universities should send them down, fine them for causing damage and interrupting their fellow student’s education, exams and graduations. Some commentators have suggested that if they want to support terrorists, they should be treated as terrorists.
 
If you wish to unsubscribe from my columns which are no longer written for the WSG please let me know. I have handed in my notice and gradually withdrawing while they find others to take on my column, having been cancelled once too often for being too un-PC, over the past year.
Carola
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www.carolagodmanirvine.com

The Farmers Weekly reported that HSE show that 32 people lost their lives following accidents on farms in Britain over the past 12 months, including three children under two.
 
Last May alone 11 people died on farms in England and Scotland – the deadliest single month for 15 years. Incidents include a Yorkshire farmer killed while unloading bales from a trailer and a West Midlands farmer killed when he was caught by an unguarded pto shaft.
 
The NFU says it is desperate to avoid a repeat this May but following eight months of unprecedented wet weather, farmers are behind schedule with their field work. They fear many will be rushing around trying to catch up and will be tempted to take unnecessary risks, which threatens safety.
 
Despite numerous safety campaigns over many years, farming statistically remains the nation’s most dangerous profession. David Exwood, NFU deputy president, recently took over as chairman of the Farm Safety Partnership for England. He urges farmers to take a five-minute pause and think about the task in front of them this spring, as part of the union’s Take 5 to Stay Alive campaign.
 
Farms have multiple hazards which as we go about our routine work, are easy to become complacent about. These range from machinery and tractor work, livestock handling, working at height, slurry lagoons, and increasingly relevant working alone and isolated for hours if not days.
 
I try to ensure that we attend Health & Safety sessions, but probably not often enough. Each time we do, I realise how important it is to do so, as there are discussions and examples which highlight potential hazards making us more wary, certainly for a while.
 
The NFU will be running pre-harvest safety events across the country from 7 May to 12 July, and this week, the HSE publishes five new videos about working safely with animals on its YouTube channel to help livestock farmers stay safe. Accidents occur too easily, most are avoidable – stay safe.
 
Jeremy Clarkson is right, there is currently no money in farming food. This is why many of us have decided to buy into environmental schemes which are paying us to take land out of food production in favour of eco-friendly environmental schemes. As Clarkson says, “They are good for the soil, and they are good for the Bank balance. But it means we are not growing stuff for people to eat.”
 
He is absolutely right, the fine balance between feeding the birds and the bees and maintaining a sustainable food producing agricultural nation is on a knife edge.
 
The jury is out as to whether as a nation we can be self-sufficient in food production or we end up relying increasingly on cheap, lower welfare, sub-standard imports which fall well below our own high standards. There is no guarantee other countries would wish to supply the UK. Is the public aware of what is going on down on the farm?