Tories slam Labour over virus

29 May 2001



Tories slam Labour over virus

By FWi staff

THE governments reluctance to announce a full-scale inquiry into the foot-and-mouth crisis has been slammed by the Tory Party.

Tim Yeo, shadow farm minister, said given the hammer-blow dealt to farming, tourism and the rural economy, vague promises of a review were “contemptible”.

In a letter to Agriculture Minister Nick Brown, Mr Yeo also called for senior government officials to stop blaming farmers for the escalation of foot-and-mouth.

“When Britains Chinese community was the victim of similar attacks, the minister quite rightly condemned them. He must now mount a similar defence of our farmers.”

Mr Yeo said Mr Brown seemed more interested in defending the government against allegations that foot-and-mouth statistics were being manipulated.

“There is a straightforward way of allaying suspicion and that is to allow an independent statistician to audit all published and unpublished F&M statistics,” he said.

Mr Yeos comments come as the Tory Party steps up its campaign to capture the rural vote.

Over the weekend, Party leader William Hague promised an incoming Conservative government would immediately implement a foot-and-mouth recovery programme.

Mr Hague pledged farmers would be compensated for irrecoverable losses and a ban on meat imports from high-risk countries.

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