Hague blasts government on farming
17 October 2000
Hague blasts government on farming
By FWi staff
TORY Party leader William Hague has described the governments attitude towards farming as “inaction followed by phoney initiatives and summits”.
Speaking during a visit to pig producers in East Anglia, Mr Hague said the government had systematically ignored and betrayed British farmers.
“As someone who represents a rural constituency I know only too well the scale of the difficulties affecting our farmers. Farming is under threat as never before.
“Yet from Tony Blair and Nick Brown all we have had is inaction, followed by phoney initiatives and summits, and endless platitudes that dont even begin to tackle the chronic problems that we are facing.”
More people were becoming disenchanted with the Labour Government, which had systematically ignored and betrayed them, said the Tory leader.
“Nowhere is that more true than for Britains farmers,” he added.
During the visit, on Tuesday (17 October), Mr Hague said had seen for himself the plight of pig farmers threatened by the outbreak of swine fever.
Agriculture minister Nick Brown and the government had failed to provide pig producers with fair and adequate compensation for the disease, he added.
“The truth is that, while Britains pig farmers are fighting for their very survival, Nick Brown refuses to act,” said Mr Hague.
Shadow agriculture minister Tim Yeo was still waiting for a reply after suggesting in writing that Mr Brown visited East Anglia, he added.
“The whole episode is symptomatic of an arrogant, out-of-touch Government that, through its incompetence, has thrown British agriculture into chaos and crisis.”
Mr Hague pledged that the next Conservative Government would be “committed to abolishing more regulations on agriculture than we introduce”.
He said the Tories would go much further than Labour to ensure that farmers were not discriminated against, and could compete with overseas producers.
“We are committed to introducing honesty in labelling so that when something is described as British on the shelves, consumers will have the guarantee that it actually is British,” said Mr Hague.
“We will make examples of foreign foods that dont come up to British standards of production, animal welfare and animal hygiene.
“Well press for genuine reform of the CAP. And well cut the duty on fuel by at least 3ppl to help the millions of people who live in the countryside for whom the car is a vital part of their daily lives.”