Questions test commitment
Questions test commitment
DO not miss the chance to question prospective parliamentary candidates about their views on farming, the countryside and rural economy.
It will help them understand the importance of farming and could help you decide whom to vote for, says Nick Way, political director of the Country Land and Business Association.
Mr Way already has a query to test candidates who visit his home near Witney in Oxfordshire. "Irrespective of the rights and wrongs of joining the k, how are you going to ensure that UK farmers compete with the same level of support as their European counterparts? If the reply is tough luck, I cant be too confident about them supporting the industry," he says.
Another advocate of doorstep politics is Barney Holbeche, NFU head of Parliamentary Affairs. "Since the polls say Tony Blair is likely to win a large majority, there is even more reason to question his candidates on rural issues."
Mr Holbeche believes sympathy for farming is more important than detailed knowledge. *