We're approaching summer, and with the government in the mess that it is, the usual reshuffle stories are starting to circulate. There are some people saying that Hilary Benn might move on from DEFRA - and the big question is what does that mean for an announcement on a possible badger cull.

After the publication on the environment, food and rural affairs select committee's report into TB came out - which suggested targeted culling might have a role to play - Mr Benn promised an announcement in weeks. But weeks is dragging into months and there's still no movement. There's a number of scenarios being discussed here in the office. Is he going to announce it and then run? Or is he going to refuse to announce it, get moved out of the position, and leave someone else with the perfect excuse to delay a little longer ie I'm new to the job, I need to examine all the evidence, I can't make a decision yet etc

I guess all we can do is wait. And all lobby organisations like the NFU can do at the moment is keep pushing.

Deck chairs, Titanic, rearranging.

Talk to a Tory MP at the moment and they've got a smile they just can't hide

Isabel,

Will he be moved to the Office for Eastern European Studies where he will be able to use his Elvis Preseley Degree.

What happened to Flash Gordon's 'Government of all the Talents'?  Perhaps it was like trying to pick an England squad from Wrexham reserves!

Who from the current Labout line-up would you like to see in the job?

Isabel,

It's like saying which Idiot in the Asylum shall we pick.This one is spending half his Budget on Climate change and cutting spending to everything else, they are nothing more than ignorant fools bungling everything they touch with no ability to direct Funds and resources to the job in hand.Half the Budget on some fictious analogy when Animal Disease is out of control, a real issue.There is an old saying that you cannot educate Pork but did anyone else see Paxo rip Chancellor Darling appart on News Night.It was as if the wrath and contempt of the whole Nation was focused through Paxo's eyes and speech.

burocrat basher:

It's like saying which Idiot in the Asylum shall we pick

I know what you are saying - but they are going to be in power for the next couple of years. So the reality is that one has got to be there!  For what it's worth I'd rather see one of the women ie Ruth Kelly, Harriett Harman. They are far from perfect, but women do tend to be better listeners (am I going to get myself in trouble here!) and it is the listening ministers that have been better in recent years.

PS I do realise my rather sexist remarks can be blown apart. Beckett was hardly a listener, whereas Nick Brown and David Miliband were.

In Scotland we have Richard Lochead holding the agriculture brief.He is at least interested in farming and seems to be trying hard,with some success,to help farming move forward.I dont think a vegetarian man called Hilary would ever be taken seriously by working Scottish farmers.I dont know who nulab will get for a replacement,but you can be pretty sure he or she wont have much interest in farming.The Tories and Libs dont seem to have any interest in farming either,or at least I never hear of any policies.

Chancellor Darling is now asking Europe to end all Agricultural subsidies and scrap import tarriffs.What effect would that have on poor people in the developing world?Is he really suggesting that in order to keep retail food prices low,without affecting the retailers multi-billion pound profits,he wants to import cheap food from the rest of the world.Depriving starving people of their bread and rice so that UK consumers can have cheap food--and throw a third of it in the bin.This man is an idiot and I really dont know why the English people put up with him ruining their economy!

Its a pity they cant replace Hilarious Benn with Weny Alexander.Then you would get a badger cull on Mondays,Wednesdays and Fridays with a reprieve the other days of the week.

Isabel Davies:

Hilary Benn might move on

He will move eventually to his estate on the Norfolk Coast with its private beach (no access to the public on this bit of coast) which is situated just south of the area earmarked by the government for flooding.

I wouldn't shed any tears for dear old Hilary as he is well able to look after himself. He could, as a last resort, open up his land to the Caravan club of which a predecessor is/was a member.

Its a pity they cant replace Hilarious Benn with Weny Alexander.Then you would get a badger cull on Mondays,Wednesdays and Fridays with a reprieve the other days of the week.

That has made my day! best laugh since the start of lambing

Isabel,

        I am not so sure they will last 2 more years, if there is a massive vote against Brown in the fortcoming By-election Brown could be out as they already have 120 Labour MP's ready to sign a no confidence Motion and he is then up for re-election.Couple this with Oil at $200/Barrel this Autumn food up by possibly 50%[Because of World Weather and consumption and Energy costs in the Manufacture ] Steel up 30% already this year and all Comodities and metals shooting up and we will see trouble for the Labour Boys.

As far as the Ladies go I would love to see more in Politics, preferably one's that are up front with the Public [like Dolly Parton ] more like Mrs T and I must say I deal with so many Women in Business now that I think we all accept and appreciate them.