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| Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Rural Life |
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Preamble |
Chapters
- Salaries and Taxation
- Pensions
- Benefits
- Health and Care
- Education
- Housing
- Employment
- Trades Unions and Labour Laws
- Trade and Industry
- Transport
- Energy
- Environment
- Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Rural Life
- Crime
- Legal System
- Immigration and Asylum
- Local Government
- Devolution and Regional Government
- Parliament and Democracy
- Media
- Freedom of Information and Privacy
- Northern Ireland
- European Union
- Foreign Policy
- Defence and Disarmament
- Conclusions
|
| Under the Tories, big farmers and agri-businesses flourished, while small, especially livestock, farmers suffered. Even most European funding (from CAP) went to the big operators. The light-touch regulatory regime played its part in the BSE, Salmonella and other scandals over food hygiene and animal welfare. Big areas of forestry were privatised without guarantees over access for walkers. The fisheries industry withered under greater competition and over-fishing. Rural communities suffered losses of public transport, shops and schools, and from the cost of housing being too great for many local people. |
| Labour policy was: |
| 1 |
To reform British and CAP funding in favour of environmentally sensitive farming and rural employment |
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| 2 |
To ensure food safety by regulating the food chain from farm to shop |
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| 3 |
To improve animal welfare, e.g. ending fur farming and battery cages and limiting live animal transport times |
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| 4 |
To end the privatisation of forestry |
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| 5 |
A right of access for all to common land, heath, down, mountains and moorland |
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| 6 |
Fisheries (?) |
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| 7 |
To give financial support to keep rural communities viable |
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| 8 |
To ban the hunting of deer, foxes and hares by hounds |
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| 9 |
To give financial support to organic farming |
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| In fact under New Labour: |
| 1 |
CAP was more environmentally based but government seemed to accept that small farmers must diversify (e.g. run a B&B) or close |
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| 2 |
There was a Food Standards Agency but the government tried to end independent inspections of abattoirs and sabotage an EU ban on beef from hormone-treated cattle |
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| 3 |
The government made or lobbied for these improvements in the EU |
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| 4 |
No more forests were privatised (?) |
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| 5 |
Access was granted (with landowners able to refuse it for up to 28 days per year or permanently for "semi-improved" land) and community forests were being established |
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| 6 |
? |
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| 7 |
Support was given to rural businesses but not over housing, e.g. see the timidity over council tax on second homes |
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| 8 |
A ban came late, rather in spite of government, and seems to be unworkable as proof of a huntsman's intent to kill is required |
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| 9 |
There was little support though more was proposed. Organic farms were actually harmed when neighbouring GM trials were allowed |
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| In addition: |
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The spread of foot and mouth (FMD) revealed many weaknesses but there was no public enquiry |
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It was the big food companies who persuaded the government to slaughter rather than vaccinating in the FMD outbreak |
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Leaked government papers recommended building on good agricultural land as we no longer need to be able to feed ourselves |
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