
The gathering was addressed by Chairman James Mulleneux, Andrew Gilruth, GWCT Director of Communications, Marketing and Membership, and Guest Speaker Robin Page, founder of the Countryside Restoration Trust.
It is always refreshing to hear Robin Page share his views on countryside matters. When this ‘proper countryman’ presented BBC One Man and His Dog, and through his ‘Country Diary’, which he wrote for the Telegraph, the public got an accurate view of the countryside.
Regrettably since Robin was removed from both institutions; the public are now the poorer. He portrayed the countryside, wildlife, farming and green living as it really is. As he said on receiving his P45 from the Daily Telegraph, “this move represented the latest blow to Britain’s most endangered minority in multi-cultural Britain – traditional country people”.
Unfortunately the likes of Robin Page who speak frankly, have been replaced by those who clearly have an urban view of countryside matters, such as Chris Packham.
Mr Packham evidently loathes farmers, and fails to understand current and traditional farming, and food production. He clearly cares little about preserving the countryside, or for that matter feeding the nation sustainably. He is, regardless of his failings, plastered all over the airwaves and pages of politically correct papers and journals. The media feed his questionable opinions to an equally urban public, who hang on his every word.
Packham now uses his BBC platform to condemn livestock farming. He advocates that all animal products should come with warning labels, like packets of cigarettes.
His latest mission, peddling veganism, and promoting the animal rights agenda, has raised calls for the BBC to sack him – some hope.
We need more people on the air waves like Robin Page, who live and breathe the real countryside, and spend time amongst traditional country people. Shame on the BBC and Daily Telegraph for silencing a voice which spoke knowledgeably and with passion, on behalf of farmers and country people.
Enoch Powell was right when he said that those who say you can’t put the clock back are wrong. “If a mistake has been made – put it right”. He was adamant that we as a nation are the masters of our fate, and he condemned the fact that the British public had been high jacked by deception in 1972, allowing the transfer of British sovereignty and power to unelected bureaucrats in Brussels.
Today the deceptions are equally dishonest. The British electorate voted to Leave the EU, despite the circulation to every household in the land of David Cameron’s scaremongering pro- EU, 16 page propaganda leaflet. It clearly stated the supposed negative consequences if we voted to leave, including leaving the Single Market and Customs Union.
All those Remain MPs, including those labelled the EU’s ‘useful idiots’, are clinging like barnacles to the hope they can stop Brexit by default. They continue to proclaim the electorate did not understand what we voted for. They are wrong - we knew the details and the outcome, and we also understood it would not be trouble free.
The Prime Minister will lose her ‘meaningful vote’. Her deal is not the Brexit which over 17million voted for, and those who pretend it is quite obviously have not read the small print.
The Government and the country lack decisive leadership. The current uncertainty cannot continue; the matter must be resolved now, not kicked into the long grass. We need a leader who is prepared to take back control, believes in an independent UK, will not allow MPs to take ‘no deal’ off the table, and is prepared to walk away with our £39billion.