Pressure mounts on Butcher Brown

26 March 2001



Pressure mounts on ‘Butcher’ Brown

By Johann Tasker

PROTESTORS in Cumbria have heckled agriculture minister Nick Brown, who appears increasingly isolated in the fight against foot-and-mouth disease.

Demonstrators branded Mr Brown a “murderer” as he arrived in Carlisle – one of the worst regions hit by the disease – on Monday (26 March).

Support for Mr Brown – whose strategy against the disease has so far seen 500,000 animals culled or awaiting slaughter – appears to be waning.

After leaving Cumbria, Mr Brown is due to visit farmers in Devon. They too are likely to ask why the government was caught off guard by foot-and-mouth.

Until recently, Mr Brown insisted the disease was contained. But he now ducks the question when asked whether he still believes it is under control.

Rather than responding directly to journalists requests, Mr Brown refuses to get drawn into what he describes as an argument over semantics.

Nevertheless, it is clear that his policy of culling out animals has failed to contain the number of foot-and-mouth outbreaks which has risen to 613 cases.

The governments chief scientific advisor has already called on the government to change its response to the crisis, which shows no sign of slowing.

The mass cull should be extended to include all animals within 3km of infected farms, Professor David King told journalists last Friday (23 March).

Previously it had been planned to limit firebreak culls of apparently healthy livestock to worst-affected areas such as Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway.

Mr Brown is also under pressure to begin vaccinating animals on holdings around infected areas to create a “firewall” to stop the disease spreading.

The minister has previously resisted calls for vaccination.

Using a vaccine would increase the amount of time it would take the UK to regain its foot-and-mouth-free status from three months to at least one year.

But Mr Brown will also be aware that vaccination would be tantamount to admitting that culling livestock has failed to control the spread of the disease.

However he may find he is forced to take drastic action against the disease unless the number of foot-and-mouth cases starts to slow sooner rather than later.