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Category Archives: Brexit
Where’s the Beef? the UK Australia Trade Deal and the desperate search for Brexit Benefits.
There’s been an awful lot of media attention focussed on the idea that the Government’s Trade Deal with Australia will lead to the UK being swamped with sub standard Australian Beef, pushing plucky British Beef farmers out of business. I’m … Continue reading
Posted in Agriculture policy, beef, Brexit, Common Agricultural Policy, NFU, Uncategorized
Tagged Australia, beef, Brexit, cows
9 Comments
Ten Years on – from Dark Days of Farming to a new Post-CAP future
Reading about yesterday’s launch of the Sustainable Farming Incentive Scheme – the post-Brexit post-Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) farming support scheme for England we’ve been waiting for these past nearly 5 years – sent me off the archives, where I found … Continue reading
Attempted Coups, Pariah States and Brexit-Trump
Writing this in the aftermath of the attempted coup in Washington on Wednesday is difficult and perhaps premature. Difficult because I, like I am sure many of you, am still processing what’s happened, the enormity of it. Premature because President … Continue reading
What a Year
I think “what a year” is how most people feel about 2020. It started with us wondering whether we would crash out of the EU without a deal, and ended with a deal being rushed through Parliament not only without … Continue reading
Farming After Brexit: Golden Age or Great Betrayal?
It’s now just 30 days until we leave the transition period (we already left the EU last January) and, depending on how you look at it, are once again a Sovereign State able to take back control and make our … Continue reading
Posted in Agriculture policy, Brexit, Uncategorized
Tagged Agriculture, Brexit, Farming is Changing
4 Comments
Lambs to the slaughter: What future for the UK’s sheep flock, post-Brexit?
Sheep near Wind Tor, Dartmoor. Photo by Anthea Simmons As we wait for what feels like the final slow-motion spin of the car as it hurtles inexorably towards the cliff edge, wondering if our heroes are going to escape from … Continue reading
Posted in Brexit, Dartmoor, George Eustice, lamb consumption, overgrazing, Sheep
Tagged Brexit, George Eustice, lamb consumption, Okehampton Common, overgrazing, Sheep, UK sheep flock
5 Comments
Building Back Greener – Defra’s Eustice announces Govt plans to weaken nature protections
I’m not much a zoom enthusiast but the invitation to listen to Defra secretary of state George Eustice give a “major” speech on the environment, via Green Alliance, seemed like too good an opportunity to miss. So, having finally … Continue reading
Coronavirus diary: the Virus that did a no-deal Brexit on our food supply
It seems inconceivable that it was only a year ago (tomorrow) when the UK was due to crash out of the EU under a no deal Brexit. Thankfully that crisis was averted. Leading up to that momentous non-event, I wrote … Continue reading
Posted in Brexit, coronavirus, Food, food security
Tagged coronavirus, food supply, no deal brexit, rationing
15 Comments
Is it racist to say Prince Albert was German?
Amid the fallout arising from the BBC’s decision to show some humorous clips from Horrible Histories on Brexit Day, I was called a racist. The clips included a song “British Things” about things the British thought (and still think) are … Continue reading
Posted in Andrew Neil, Brexit, Britishness
Tagged Andrew Neil, British, British Things, Britishness, Horrible Histories, James Glancy
5 Comments
Brexit, The Environment Bill and Local Wildlife Sites – a perfect storm?
On this supposed “Brexit Day” I’m not going to dwell on the Bongs, or the Flags, or the Farage’s. But one of the consequences of Brexit is that we have a new Environment Bill in Parliament. This is as a … Continue reading
a new nature blog 