Earlier Front Pages
April 29 ~ "We were asked to reconsider the entire situation related to the crisis ......
From the Western Morning News report on Saturday about the MEPs' trip to Devon.
"We were also asked to make recommendations that the communities living in the neighbourhood of the landfill sites are given blanket compensations for blight of property. Finally we were required to consider the possibility of vaccination for animals infected with the disease in case of another outbreak."
.....Visiting the site run by Viridor, a company owned by the Pennon Group, Mr Watson (South West Euro MP Graham Watson) explained: "We heard a lot about Heathfield and wanted to see what really happened there. We will meet local residents who have complained about experiencing health problems and will definitely keep them informed of the outcome of our investigation."
.
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Sue comments, "Remember my question about what DEFRA did with the leachate from burial
sites? Well, in the case of Heathfield it was discharged into the sea
...one wonders whether it was
treated before being discharged and whether it was proven to be harmless to
river, estuary and marine life......
I love the bit from Viridor ..."We intended to tell the people about the Government's decision to use the site as a burial pit, but they found out about it before the initial date we fixed for publicising the fact." "
April 29 ~ A decision must be based on science and welfare, rather than on politics?
At the May meeting in Paris of the OIE, there will be a vote on a proposal
to change the OIE Code on vaccination without slaughter such that the period
of waiting before regaining freedom be reduced to 6 months if vaccination is
followed by screening for antibodies to nonstructural proteins of FMDV in the vaccinated population.
At the request of Mary Marshall, this will be discussed at the next DEFRA
Stakeholders meeting on 9 May, where a DEFRA vet will be present to explain
the UK's position and to answer questions. "DEFRA have agreed that their
decision must be based on science and welfare, rather than on politics," says Ms Marshall.
New OIE proposal :
April 29 ~ "over the last hundred years there are only a few cases where circumstantial evidence suggests the introduction of new disease by carriers. This circumstantial evidence does not exist for vaccinated carriers."
April 29 ~ Cattle allowed to graze GM maize.
Lawrence writes to alert us to a farming today item this morning. "....Alan Simpson [simpsona@parliament.uk] Labour MP for Nottingham South described how he had put down a question about the monitoring of these GM releases. Michael Meacher's reply was that there are rules for GM sugar beet: but maize like T25 are merely subject to an 'industry agreement'.
Alan Simpson drew attention to the dangers indicated by the inadequate tests which 'give science a bad name'. He said that those who breached the agreement, by, for example, allowing cattle to graze on fields planted with the test crops should be able to be called to account: and that after he had put down his question, he had heard from farm workers and observers giving specific field locations and cattle ref nos. where cattle had been allowed to graze the GM maize.
......our Government and our Civil Service, in the form, presumably, of DEFRA [wearing the old shoes of MAFF] don't require proper safety testing, let alone environmental impact assessment, before these potentially highly dangerous organisms are released into our environment and our food [note that cattle were allowed to graze the test crop] and that no one with our interests at heart is monitoring what is happening. I am horrified. (see Lawrence's full email)
April 29 ~ "These measures make it look as if we still have a foot-and-mouth proble
m and I am open-mouthed at some of the silly rules suggested to control it,"
Adrian Johnston, the chief executive of the Newark and Nottinghamshire show. For bio-security run mad, see today's Times report (also on the newspaper page)"....New rules that ban cow pats from showgrounds...... People will be forbidden to touch bulls, dairy cows, pigs or llamas. Sheep are already banned from being included in the shows. Show organisers believe that some of the controls are unworkable, unnecessary and will be extremely expensive to adopt. ......
Among other rules are a regulation which states that cattle must be isolated for 20 days after attending a show. A show on farmland must also be left empty for 28 days before and after the event. This means that there can be no grazing of animals during that period. ..... Mrs Godman Law, Chairman of the South of England Show council, who farms near Haywards Heath, West Sussex, has told Ministers that if they were really determined about new rules, then she would strongly advise the Government "to insist all footpaths crossing farmland where livestock are grazing also be closed down with immediate effect"......" A Defra spokesman said that the rules represented "good agricultural practice and were based on veterinary risk assessments". ...." The crazy regulations proliferate...Utter madness.
April 29 ~ "Like so much else that this Government seeks to do, it will further undermine the Briton's ancient right to liberty from the state's interference".
Opinion column in today's Telegraph. "The law as it stands reflects that fact, in 11 separate Acts of Parliament governing our treatment of animals. There is now a strong case for updating and simplifying those laws, so that all those who deal with animals know exactly where they stand. But there is no case for the sort of extension of the law that the Government is proposing.
Until now, it has been an offence to inflict unnecessary suffering on animals, and that is as it should be. But the Government plans to introduce a new offence of treating animals in a way "likely" to cause suffering, whether or not it actually does.
This will be a charter for busybodies to report their neighbours to the police or the RSPCA if they feel that the budgie next door has not enough room in its cage, or that Mrs Jones has been snapping at her dog."
April 29 ~ "Critical witnesses, including two outspoken senior vets Roger Windsor and Alan Richardson, were allowed just a few minutes at the end. At least when Redondo tried to cut short Nick Green of Heart of Cumbria he managed to wave her impatient interjections aside until he had finished.
Private Eye's Muckspreader is not impressed by the EU Temporary Committee ".......the greatest drawback is the investigation's complete lack of structure. A succession of witnesses like Nick Brown or Lord Whitty turn up to read out prepared statements. MEPs' questions are then lumped together in batches, giving all the witnesses a chance to comment on whichever bits of the questioning take their fancy....
As an ex-civil servant La Redondo is notably deferential to 'official' witnesses, like Brown and Whitty, who are allowed to drool on way over their allotted time and to get away with absurd claims without being challenged. But when it comes to witnesses who challenge the government line, Redondo can barely bring herself to be polite. Having been summoned to Brussels, vaccination expert Dr Keith Sumption was allowed barely five minutes.
April 29 ~ "Unofficial papers, however expert and relevant to proper understanding of the crisis, are ignored"
According to the report in Private Eye this week, which seems extremely well informed, we learn to our great consternation that, "Almost all the documents circulated by the inquiry secretariat are from official sources. Unofficial papers, however expert and relevant to proper understanding of the crisis, are ignored. And when researchers asked for tapes or transcripts of the evidence, to check what witnesses had said, they were told these were being kept under lock and key. Tapes can only be listened to under supervision. ...." This is deeply worrying since it suggests that the very mistakes the UK government made, sidelining the real experts and relying on those with sharp elbows but little understanding, are being repeated in Brussels. It suggests that papers such as Val Lusmore's painstaking analysis of the mathematical modelling are simply not being looked at. The OIE itself is driven by forces that seem to have little to do with common sense. People who persist in believing that our lives are in the hands of generally benevolent experts are very sadly mistaken. To many, it seems that the time is fast approaching to reclaim responsibility and fight back against the dead hand of centralisation.
April 29 ~ "My cull is with the Ombudsman too"
writes another farmer today."I have complained about no
Form A and how I feel this is mal-administration. Our MP, Mr Brown, wrote me a letter to
say that he was sorry but that they will not be issuing any Form A now. This
was not sufficient evidence for the Ombudsman who needed to know that I had
exhausted all communications with SEERAD before they could get involved.
I got a letter 22/4/02 from SEERAD who said that there was no record of a form A being
served. Thats funny because they sent me a letter a year ago to say that Form
A had been changed to a Form B. The Ombudsman is walking hand in hand with
me as I travel this last part of the road. I am sure it must be quite an
insight.
I write because I wish to let your writer know that many people are fighting
their own battles and thanks to this web site we can know about it. Best of
luck! Hang in there."
April 28 ~ 8. Massive killing and disposal cannot be carried out with sufficient bio-security and, therefore, represents a high risk of spreading FMD
This statement, one of several in "Points to consider in the prevention, control and eradication of FMD" (see left menu) presented to the Brussels conference in December, is "substantiated by literature references and our own experience gained in many years of FMD research on pathogenicity, epidemiology, vaccine technology both in the laboratory and in the field."
"In the UK - and in The
Netherlands at the beginning of the outbreak - computer models, which had not
been validated by practical experience, guided the eradication measures. This
led to "circle" stamping-out of supposed contacts and to create a "fire
corridor". However, FMD virus does not spread in mathematical circles and livestock
on many farms were killed unnecessarily."
April 28 ~ "So the Gretna meeting did get to hear about FMD handling in Dumfries and Galloway"
writes a participant
The only problem is they did not say the things that suited the Brown/Murray (Local Lab MP/MSP) line. ...Brown/Murray are certainly correct to assume that the Gretna meeting showed
that there were TWO points of view about how FMD was handled.
Could it be that Murray and Brown are worried that this delegation might listen and that the result will be unfavourable to the government? It seems that they are
too late to worry.
The truth will out.
April 28 ~ "5000 lives snuffed out, but not one animal tested for fmd."
An account of the Forest of Dean Memorial Service for the free-roaming sheep by
Diana Jeynes
"....A short distance away is the place where 5000 free-roaming Forest sheep and lambs were slaughtered just over 1 year ago. I have been past this place few times since last Spring.
I am hoping that our little service today may lay the ghosts which have haunted me since that period of killing caused so much despair. Last year, the road was closed off to the public in this beautiful place where the innocents were brought in their thousands to meet their death. An act so awful and obscene for its wanton destruction of so much healthy life, many just weeks, days, hours old.
Some being born as their mother died at the slaughterman's hand and meeting the same fate.
Today the woods are peaceful....... If you did not know, you could not imagine the evil act that took place here.... there were only 13 confirmed cases of fmd in the whole of Gloucestershire.. we gathered to remember all the other healthy animals that were slaughtered all over the country, and the tortured and caring people who lost their own lives as a result of the obscene policy which led to the slaughter.... Poppy (16) got permission for the event and enlisted the help of local newspapers, local radio and The Western Daily Press to publicise the service. She wrote letters, gave interviews and spoke on the radio, and as a result of her efforts we had a wonderful service...
"
April 28 ~ "The Ombudsman has agreed to investigate the handling of the cull of our sheep"
writes a farmer today. And adds, "After so many dashed hopes that someone independent would look at what SEERAD did, say it was very wrong and castigate them for it, I am almost in tears.
.... I do want the guilty exposed for what they are. I do most earnestly want them punished. I don't ever want this atrocity to be able to happen ever again.
....... I do not know what the outcome will be. .... I try not to put too much reliance on the result. Cynicism does tend to creep in. But this is supposed to be an independent inquiry into what went on in our particular instance and I sincerely hope that it is.
April 28 ~"I am not quite clear about the claims of excessive slaughter, which do not seem to be backed up by evidence. There may have been a misunderstanding, and I shall deal with that in a moment...."
( Elliot Morley apparently attempting to rewrite History) From Commons Debate 25th April 2002 on findings of Northumberland Inquiry
"As for the claim that animals were killed unnecessarily, Professor Dower seemed to be under the impression that there was a 3 km cull in Northumberland. There was never a 3 km cull in Northumberland - he is mistaken."
However, the chairman of the Northumberland inquiry, Professor Michael Dower said "Saying that the 3km cull just applied to Cumbria and not Northumberland does not wash. The evidence we received at our inquiry points towards such a cull.
"We were shown by Trading Standards Officers the maps with the 3km circles marked on around infected premises ... And we heard from a significant number of farmers that were not right next to an infected farm whose animals were culled."
Prof Dower said that the evidence the inquiry received gave the impression of unnecessary slaughter and he highlighted the case where 16,000 animals had been slaughtered as a result of a rushed diagnosis. (see also)
Mr Morley continued, "Professor Dower and his committee may have been labouring under a misapprehension."
Not at all. Mr Morley is "Labouring" to exonerate the government but he may well find, as did Lady Macbeth, that some things simply "do not wash". (See debate on warmwell page)
April 28 ~ "The most important issue is whether the disease was brought under control-and it was" Elliot Morley
No- this is NOT the most important issue. Any callous fools can stop a disease in its tracks by killing all the potential victims of it for miles around. This is not "success" It is murderous madness.
Mr Morley:" It became clear that biosecurity was crucial. We were pleased that members of the NFU and its president shared platforms with us to try to drive home the message that biosecurity was important. "
Bio-security, that political phrase, was often disregarded by DEFRA vets and slaughtermen. We find it interesting but not surprising that the government and the NFU heirarchy are clinging together so tenaciously in the rising storm of outrage. ( See also on the question of "bio-security")
April 28 ~"We have an obligation to treat animals in the way that a civilised society expects," Elliot Morley.
Sunday Times story...The debate will centre on how far the government is prepared to go to protect pets. The RSPCA wants "five freedoms" to be adopted for all pets and circus animals. It believes they should be entitled to: * Freedom from hunger and thirst - enough good food and water to keep them healthy. * Freedom from discomfort - comfortable cages or resting areas. * Freedom from pain, injury and disease - and rapid veterinary treatment if they are ill. * Freedom to express normal behaviour - so they have enough space and company. * Freedom from fear and distress - treatment that avoids mental suffering. "
Tell that to the unifected animals slaughtered last year on a political whim. Tell that to Carolyn Hoffe whose home was broken into and her five healthy pets slaughtered in her living room. Tell that to Kirstin McBride - and to all those who cared for the animals snatched away and subjected to the joking slaughtermen, paid for by the taxpayer to kill as many animals in an hour as they possibly could. Tell it to the Winslades. Tell it to the lambs lying in agony from illegally used bolts and spikes. Tell it to the animals transported still living to the pyres. Mr Morley and the RSPCA proclaim that we have an obligation to treat animals in the way that a civilised society expects. Blessed be the name of the Minister and the RSPCA.
April 28 ~ "On farming, New Labour is living up to its reputation by facing in both directions at once.
Observer Comment Extra "On the one hand Margaret Beckett and the new Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs have started to talk about changing the huge, cumbersome and environmentally destructive system of agricultural subsidy, to encourage conservation, organic farming and local food production. On the other hand, Tony Blair and his Science Minister Lord Sainsbury are still passionate fans of genetically modified food. GM and organic farming cannot co-exist in a small country like Britain, and in the end the Government will be forced to make a choice.
Finally, Labour must put into practice the joined-up Government it promised. The environment is not the property of one Government Department. It requires action across Government - from ending Britain's uncritical support for the World Trade Organisation, to ensuring that environmental protection is a central objective of our tax system and at the heart of public spending decisions. A green speech from the Prime Minister every few years is just not enough.
April 27 ~ Heathfield Campaigners are listened to by contingent of EU Inquiry
"We are being constantly tormented by these gases (that have not been contained in the designated area of the Viridor landfill site) causing us; severe long term sleep deprivation, our whole bodies shake so severely that we are unable to function, not able to string sentences together sometimes, or to drive our cars! Also electric shock type stings come in waves up over our bodies. Our noses and throats are constantly affected, our eyes made so desperately sore their only relief is to keep them fully closed! We have been told these symptoms are exactly like nerve gases used during the War..."
On Friday April 26th a contingent of the European Inquiry: (Graham Watson, Nick Clegg, Jan Mulder who were also accompanied by Mr Richard Younger Ross MP for Teignbridge ) made a visit to the notorious Heathfield Viridor Landfill site in Devon. They had earlier been refused admission to the Ash Moor site - although we understand they were later allowed in. At Heathfield they listened to campaigners - who have had no response from the UK government about their grave concerns. 600 signatures from people who have been made seriously unwell because of the smells & fumes were collected within hours after it was confirmed at 1.30pm on Thursday that the meeting would take place.. (See letter from the campaigners) and compare it with the report about Viridor from the Herald Express on April 8th. Like Snowie, here is a company that is whiter than white...what stinks here is either the site or something else.
April 27 ~ Cumbria Inquiry Report to go to EU
According to the Cumberland & Westmorland Herald today,"The European Parliament's temporary committee on FMD will take in evidence
the report and conclusions of Cumbria's own FMD Inquiry, which begins early
next month. ....." our own inquiry is independent and
non-political. An independent panel of experts will consider every piece of
evidence submitted and produce a detailed report, which we expect to publish
in July. I fully expect its conclusions to be of not just regional but of
national and European significance. That's why it is so important the
lessons learned here in Cumbria are considered fully in Europe and
Westminster."
April 27 ~ Elliot Morley has dismissed the findings of the Northumberland Inquiry
Today's Newcastle Journal reports: "Earlier this week Food Minister Elliot Morley disputed central claims made in the report in a Commons debate secured by Berwick MP Alan Beith.
He said the Northumberland inquiry had failed to produce evidence of excessive slaughter and rejected its call for more on-farm burial sites to be used in future outbreaks.
But the chairman of the Northumberland inquiry, Professor Michael Dower, last night said he stood by his conclusions, especially in the absence of counteracting evidence from Defra, which refused to attend the inquiry.
He said: "Saying that the 3km cull just applied to Cumbria and not Northumberland does not wash. The evidence we received at our inquiry points towards such a cull.
"We were shown by Trading Standards Officers the maps with the 3km circles marked on around infected premises ... And we heard from a significant number of farmers that were not right next to an infected farm whose animals were culled."
Prof Dower said that the evidence the inquiry received gave the impression of unnecessary slaughter and he highlighted the case where 16,000 animals had been slaughtered as a result of a rushed diagnosis ..."
April 27 ~I hardly think 'honesty' was at the top of his priority list when he and his friends 'engineered' the presentation of his 'model
Jane at farmtalking.org is irritated by the pronouncements of Prof Anderson, as reported by The Scotsman today. Jane sums up the situation admirably. '"FMD is an infectious viral disease, affecting cloven hooved animals for which there is a vaccine. The only reason the vaccine wasn't used as far as I understand it, was because of a ridiculous agreement that Europe should maintain its self declared FMD free status. Add to that the possibility that our Government wished to reduce stocking levels in the UK and chose to ignore the advice of the 1967/8 Northumberland report - and therein lay the recipe for the disaster we have witnessed. Nothing too 'complicated' or 'scientific' about that is there? Or am I missing something?"
April 27 ~"There would seem to be no power of a blanket contiguous cull policy." (Lord Onslow)
From yesterday's Farmers Guardian "Food and Farming Minister Lord Whitty has again been forced on the defensive over the legality of the contiguous cull employed during foot-and-mouth outbreak.
Giving evidence to the European Parliament's foot-and-mouth inquiry earlier this month, he said the cull had been carried out with EU approval and that its legality had been tested in the courts.
These comments were challenged in debate in the House of Lords last week by a number of peers.
The Countess of Mar asked Lord Whitty to give precise reference to the EU approval ' as the relevant directives make no mention of the slaughter of animals not exposed to disease.' "Will he also tell us who are the relevant court cases?" she said.
In response, Lord Whitty reiterated his claims that the contiguous cull was legal and hit out at farmers who resisted it, "The legality of the cull is not in doubt," he said. "However it was inhibited and ineffective because we were unable to enter certain premises due to resistance based on the current legal position."
He cited two cases which the Government won. MAFF v Winslade and Westerhall Farms v Scottish Ministers.
"The British courts and the EU endorsement therefore fully support the comments that I have made in Strasbourg and have repeated today" he said.
The Earl of Onslow said, however that a more relevant case involved Grunty the pig in June 2001.......
The indications are therefore that there has been no legal challenge that supports the Minister's contention that the contiguous cull was legal. On the face of it the (EU) directive appears to authorise only testing and examination."
This issue of legality is becoming more and more crucial and it looks as though the government will find it has made the gravest of errors.
April 27 ~ GM crops safety report flawed.
Safety tests on genetically modified maize currently growing in Britain were
flawed, it has emerged.
The crop, T-25 GM maize, was tested in laboratory experiments on chickens.
During the tests, twice as many chickens died when fed on T-25 GM maize,
compared with those fed on conventional maize...(BBC)
Meanwhile, Lawrence writes,"
bear in mind the flaccid under reporting by the BBC of the issues related to Foot and Mouth. [If Farming Today carries such a damning report the true situation is likely to be worse.]....What are the allegiances of the compliant 'scientists who make up the MAFF "Advisory Committee on the Releases to the Environment" [ACRE]. Looking at their website, [http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/acre/index.htm], I see that applications for new places on the Committee closed yesterday. I wonder who Aventis and the like have lined up for the new membership - and to ease their future products into the UK environment? I wonder how they operate in France and the EU, where the maize was approved in 1996?
Points mentioned in the BBC report included comment by respected scientists that the research on the safety of the GM maize [and, note, this was research into the 'direct' safety of the animals eating it - not those eating the animals fed on it - or the environment at large] "wasn't really good enough to base a student project on, let alone the marketing consent for a GM product". (Read Lawrence's important message in full)
April 27 ~ Professor Anderson warns scientists to be 'more honest'
In one of the most breathtaking examples of attack being the best form of defence, we read in the Scotsman today that Professor Anderson, whose "kill-everything-quickly" mathematical modelling led to the destruction of millions of healthy animals last year, speaking at Aberdeen's Macaulay Institute, has said,"the media wanted their science in sound bites, even though these issues were not amenable to being easily explained in a few sentences" He continued, "Scientists should also be more prepared to admit a lack of knowledge," said Prof Anderson. "Many find it difficult to say 'we haven't got a clue' or 'there's no information on this currently available'. For instance, at the start of the FMD outbreak there were huge gaps in our knowledge about the potential effectiveness of the emergency vaccine, about possible transmission routes and about UK animal movements. ...."
It seems something of a pity that this has occurred to Professor Anderson only after all the heartbreaking damage has been done. There were gaps in his knowledge certainly and in the knowledge of the other key players in this fiasco - but the expertise about emergency vaccination , about transmission routes and about UK animal movements was all there, the experts willing and wanting to help. It was ignored and treated with contempt.
April 27 ~ Under the headline "Police State UK"
the American news site World Net Daily is running two articles this morning about the UK FMD crisis. They are well worth reading in full. See newspapers page for summary and links.
April 27 ~ No pat on the back for the Scottish policy
"Something that disturbs me is the praise apparently given to Scotland for its handling of the FMD outbreak by the EU Inquiry," writes our knowledgeable correspondent, Anne Lambourn.
"This was the area ( Dumfries and Galloway) where the "scorched earth" policy was applied without "rhyme or reason". Roger Windsor, Dumfries, in the letter from 40 vets to Tony Blair, exposes the madness that was going on. ..... I certainly do not have praise for the Scottish Executive nor Jim Walker of the SNFU. It seemed to me that the slaughter in this area was carried out with an almost fanatical zeal, and my telephone conversation at the time with the particular DVM responsible did nothing to change my view. Roger Eddy in his letter to Tony Blair of April 20th refers to "one ludicrous example" of a slaughter, simply because the sheep shared a field boundary of a few yards (regardless of the fact that these sheep were 6 miles away from the IP).
How can one praise a policy where the following happened: of 15 so-called Infected Premises diagnosed clinically in Wigtownshire (part of Dumfries and Galloway), TWO only of the thirteen tested were actually infected. Furthermore, the 15 farms resulted in a further 203 premises being slaughtered out (mainly contiguous and 3 km), and 90,000 animal were slaughtered, the vast majority of which were healthy. Looked at another way, this means that for every premises that tested positive, another 108 were slaughtered out.
Another madness was the slaughter of 2 pet (quarantined) goats in Craigs Road, Dumfries, 7 weeks after an outbreak on an IP within 3 km - a housing estate in beween apparently didn't stop the plume of virus bearing down on the goat shed. .."(more)
April 27 ~ THE nine-man panel which will head Cumbria's foot and mouth inquiry includes
one of the county's strongest supporters of vaccination during the crisis.
Professor Derek Ellwood was one of the first experts in Britain to call for
"firebreak" vaccination to stop the spread of FMD.
He claimed at the start of April last year that the disease was already out
of control in Cumbria, urging a "jab and mark" strategy that would have seen
animals injected with vaccine but not later slaughtered. (report in Cumberland News)
April 27 ~ In Scotland, praised for its so-called "local control"; the truth is that vets were taking orders from Page Street
An urgent email received from Lockerbie about the news item from the Scottish "Press and Journal" report (below)
"Please don't swallow the Dumfries and Galloway /NFU line that Dumfries and Galloway did it
so well because "the council took control."
"The sight that I witnessed of almost
non existent bio-security did not stand up to the most basic test; wiping
feet on grass verge, no protective clothing ....True, there did not seem to be the delay between slaughter and
transport/pyre, but the vets were taking orders from London. They were
constantly on their mobiles to Page Street, when on farms, trying to get advice
etc. The farmers around here spoke about this frequently.
It is a pity more
of them don't know about this website because it is seeing the sham written
down that certainly raises my hackles.
"Evil deeds happen whilst good men sit
back and say nothing" ......"
No delays in D and G? Has anyone any comments here?
April 27 ~" Journalists are often defensive when asked why they faithfully follow the deceptions of great power."
"It is not good enough for ITN to say dismissively, in response to the Glasgow Media Group findings, that "we are not in the business of giving a daily history lesson", or for the BBC to waffle about its impartiality when some recent editions of Newsnight might have been produced by the Foreign Office. In these dangerous times, one of the most destructive weapons of all is pseudo-information..."writes John Pilger in yesterday's New Statesman. The article was specifically about how the "response of Britain's media to the conspiracy in Venezuela provided an object lesson in how censorship works in free societies. The episode was a journalistic disgrace...." but the silence or misreporting of the press about the outrages of the foot and mouth policy in this country caused us first bafflement, then anger and finally understanding of the nature of their compliance. It is chilling.
April 26 ~ What happened during the 2001 UK foot and mouth crisis was almost unbelievably atrocious. It was an outrage. It is not to be swept under the carpet
An email has just been received here from a member of the public who knows little about the foot and mouth crisis. It reminds us that we have been close to the issues for twelve long months. It is almost shocking to see the reactions of a normal kindly human being faced with the truth for the first time. He writes,
"I only wish the hideous people who have instigated this policy of mass-killing could be inflicted with the sensations which I experienced when I read the warmwell.com site a couple of days ago.
I even considered speaking to my doctor about it.
I've seen some nasty things in my time, but reading about these atrocities just got to me in a big way."
April 26 ~"The deep cuts in staffing at the State Veterinary Service were responsible
for some of the difficulties in bringing the UK's foot and mouth epidemic under control last year, a European Parliament committee said yesterday." (Press and Journal)"The MEPs said it had quickly become clear during their visit that a key factor in the UK's difficulties in bringing the epidemic under control was the depletion of the State Veterinary Service. The number of full-time Government vets had over the last 21 years fallen from 564 to 235.
The committee is to compare the UK figures with the situation elsewhere in Europe.
The committee added: "Another clear lesson from the UK's experience was that the disease can be handled much more effectively at local and regional level than from central government"........"
April 26 ~ "... serious consideration must be given to a Europe-wide policy on using vaccination to control the disease in any future outbreak."
"Wolfgang Kreissl-Dorfler, the German Socialist Group MEP who has been tasked with drawing up the committee's recommendations, promised farmers, vets, businesspeople and Government officials that vaccination, and the related issue of export rules, would be examined in his report.
It is expected Mr Kreissl-Dorfler's report will also call for an international strategy on combating foot and mouth. ...The committee, which is made up of MEPs representing all the main political groups, also said there had been considerable confusion on the ground in the UK about the provisions of EU legislation on vaccination and culling and its interpretation. " (more)
April 26 ~ "Committee chairman Encarnacion Redondo Jiminez, of Spain, said the depth of human misery and emotional suffering
caused by the epidemic was an essential aspect of the crisis and would not overlooked in the committee's conclusions. ....During their visit last week, the MEPs visited farms near Carlisle and Hexham, as well as the Longtown and Hexham marts at the centre of the epidemic, and visited Great Orton Airfield, where nearly half a million animals are buried. They heard harrowing first-hand accounts of the devastation wrought by the epidemic.
The delegation also met local businesspeople whose livelihoods had been wiped out as a result of the epidemic and who had received little or no support. "
April 26 ~ Sir Don Curry, Chairman of the Policy Commission for the Future of
Food and Farming, was interviewed this morning on the TODAY Programme
He
called on the Government to get on with funding his proposals and said that
we didn't need any further consultation. It was reported in the Times on April 18, the day after the Budget,
that Margaret Beckett has made clear that the future strategy for rural
reform will depend on the next public spending round in July. The CLA have issued a press release backing Sir Don Curry's demands that his report should be implemented.
April 26 ~"There would seem to be no power of a blanket contiguous cull policy.
See today's Farmers Guardian. "The
indications are therefore that there has been no legal challenge that
supports the Minister's contention that the contigious cull was legal, On
the face of it the (EU) directive appears to authorise only testing and
examination."
April 26 ~ "a government who don't care about farmers and the countryside"
The Telegraph today reports that the crisis in agriculture is forcing one of the country's best-known families to quit the land it has farmed for more than five centuries.
Michael-John Knatchbull, a godson of the Queen and grandson of the late Earl Mountbatten of Burma, has announced with "deep regret" that he is to give up the 2,000 acres near Ashford, Kent, that has been farmed by the family since 1485.
He put the blame on poor markets and "a government who don't care about farmers and the countryside".
April 26 ~" There should have been a full inquiry" says David Drew
A letter written by the chairman of the Labour Group of Rural MPs and vice-chairman of the Commons environment, food and rural affairs committee, David Drew, conceded that there should have been a full inquiry. It was written on April 12 from the House of Commons and leaked to The Daily Telegraph. The letter was condemned by Peter Ainsworth as "deeply offensive to all farmers" and betraying "ignorance as well as prejudice" of rural affairs among Labour MPs. "John Berkeley, a Deputy Lieutenant of Gloucestershire who lives at Berkeley Castle, his ancestral home, said he had written to Mr Drew to call for a public inquiry into the foot and mouth crisis.
"I suffered severely, both emotionally and financially, when 11 of my tenants lost their herds to foot and mouth and I had to close Berkeley Castle to tourists," he said. "But I was shocked by the reply I received from David Drew. It was brutal in tone and content."..."Mr Drew conceded that there should have been a full inquiry. But he added that it should "look at all the factors that caused foot and mouth including poor husbandry, over-intensive methods and deliberate spreading of the disease". The sentence that seems to have rightly provoked most outrage was "The nature of what was going on among farmers helped spread the disease."
April 26 ~ Where did Mr Morley's "information" on Uruguay come from?
House of Commons Standing Committee E (pt 3) Animal Health Bill 4th Dec. Mr Morley said in reply to Mr Wiggin
"My information is that prophylactic vaccination in Uruguay failed to eradicate the disease, and it is still endemic."
But these are weasel words. Most people listening to this would think a) Uruguay's vaccination programme failed b) There is therefore no point in using vaccination. Wrong on both counts. The OIE website entry for 16th November reports that Uruguay was disease free by August 21 2001 - and it is surely unlikely that no one thought to inform Mr Morley.
We have already reported the factsof the Uruguay 2001 FMD vaccination success. As Dr Sutmoller, with admirable restraint, says of vaccination, "..... it is all about politics and trade and not about science. If the control and eradication in Europe would be based on scientific arguments, vaccination would have its right place in the toolbox against the fight of the disease. Unfortunately, as long as people get the facts wrong (even if they are presented in a straightforward manner) the dialogue will be less then fruitful." (see vaccination pages)
Even the RCVS has got it into its head that vaccination wouldn't work in the UK - a body that one would have thought would take a pride in finding out for itself rather than listening to such nauseating spin as that above - but there are many vets all too ready to assert that their collusion in an outrage against animals and owners was "justified"
April 26 ~ New Labour loves all sorts of good-sounding words like "modern", "radical", "transparent", "accountable", "stake-holder", "fairness", "kids", but gets a bit shy about "freedom".
In a refreshing Telegrah article yesterday, Charles Moore says, "This is a government for whom central control - of administration, the media, of Parliament is the issue. The checks and balances of the constitution are not seen as "modern": they are just a nuisance. The Government's "anti-terrorism" measures turned out to be, in part at least, an attempt to allow government departments to share unprecedented amounts of information held about all of us for whatever range of purposes government might determine. Government Bills, and, even more markedly, measures originating in Brussels, are rushed through Parliament without proper scrutiny. We decided it was time, to use a New Labour phrase, "to blow the whistle". ....Next Wednesday - May Day - the campaign enters a new phase. The Daily Telegraph has joined forces with Channel 4 for a televised conference in London on freedom in Britain today......Free Country Conference, BP Lecture Theatre, The British Museum, London WC1, May 1, 10.30-5.30. Tickets at £10 from 0870 8303 413
April 25 ~ "the fact that the contiguous cull was being found to be legally questionable, and that every time it was challenged in the courts the government gave way, .... played a greater part in the reprieve of Phoenix than the science"
Today's Guardian story about Phoenix reveals the extent of the lying that came from No 10. When Downing Street, (without bothering to inform Nick Brown, David King the chief scientist, Jim Scudamore the chief vet, the Ministry or local Maff offices), gave the press the story of Phoenix' s reprieve, neglecting to tell them that the change (later "refinement") of policy applied only to cattle
"Downing Street had turned potentially the biggest public-relations disaster of the whole foot and mouth epidemic so far into a pre-election publicity coup for the government," wrote the Telegraph. The government was portrayed as compassionate, in touch with popular opinion and drawing a line under the horrendous killings of the past three months. " Maff tried to save face by saying it had been Maff officials who had reprieved the calf. Alistair Campbell's deputy lied blatantly but ineffectually that "this was not a decision taken by politicians", pretending that all key players had been involved in the decision
"And this week", reports the Guardian today, "No 10 refined the story again: 'The final decision was taken on the Wednesday morning, following meetings that morning with Nick Brown, Jim Scudamore, Professor King and others.' But Brown was at this time in Luxembourg. "
Certainly the culling did not stop, and it is unlikely that many animals were saved by the shift in policy."(Guardian article)
No wonder the government is desperate to give the contiguous cull retrospective legality by means of the Animal Health bill. The whole affair was a farce; a fortnight later they were still killing contiguous cattle at Bronllys.
GIVE US A PUBLIC INQUIRY.
April 25 ~"Great Orton...The scene of the most horrific animal massacre known in this country and considered by DEFRA as A job well done"
writes Nick Green today, "Anyone who has been there cannot help being moved by the aura of the place. It is an unimaginable place, akin to being, I imagine, in hell. It is interesting to note that DEFRA are to convert this English Auswich into a nature reserve. There will be guided walks and of course the obligatory children's play area. This will not be visited by locals and I can only imagine the very unwary tourist falling for DEFRA`s brain washing brochure detailing the benefits of visiting Gt Orton. Hell on earth. The birds do not sing there, nor do they sing at Auswich.
At Gt Orton there were 4 pens containing sheep gathered for slaughter. DEFRA proudly states that 600 ewes an hour were slaughtered .
This means 150 sheep an hour per pen. One slaughter man killed in each pen.
Therefore a slaughter man could earn: -
150 X £3 = £450.00 per hour.
A 4 hour morning shift would therefore bring each man:-
£1,800.00. or £3,600.00 per 8 hr. shift.
Or
£18,000 per 5 day week.
Am I naïve or is it just possible that the undeniable attraction of earning £18,000 per week may just have contributed to the appalling welfare standards witnessed throughout FMD 2001?..." (more)
April 25 ~ MAFF's crimes were not to be discussed.
A stockholder (name and address supplied) in East Anglia writes, "...the writer became steadily disenchanted
with the performance of MAFF and, in particular, of the State Veterinary
Service. They were hopelessly incompetent and they were faking blood tests...........Finally.... we got a phone call from MAFF to say that Alick Simmons (yes, the professor on the symposium platform at Exeter) a DVM allocated to East Anglia, at the time, was on his way.
I thought he might be coming to apologise, as a consequence of my complaint to the Select Committee about MAFF's faking of blood tests and misbehaviour at our home. I knew that he was informed about the matter by Trading Standards.
I rushed to put together a quick confidential paper, firmly believing that I was helping keep our neighbours on the Continent clear of disease
Not a bit of it. Simmons was more interested in making sure we could not speak about anything he decided was not on the agenda. He was exceptionally rude to my wife, when she tried to speak. MAFF's crimes were not to be discussed.
"We will have no raised voices in this house!" said Simmons, when she tried quietly to interrupt his monologue on what he was insisting we were to do...most of which we believe was actually illegal. He was comfortably ensconced in my chair in our drawing room at the time..."
"....I have now come to realise that CSF was not carried on vehicles, or in the air. They were lying. Simmons knew that there was no risk. That is why they were not worried about their vets faking blood tests. It simply did not matter.
Alas, a familiar story: most of the pigs did not have Swine Fever and it was not being spread by lax biosecurity.
They wanted them out of the way. Just as in FMD, the animals simply did not have the illness. "
(full story)
April 24 ~ : "The message we have to get across is that now is the time to come out.
"Every business that's been affected - and I can't think of a businesses that hasn't been affected in some form or another - should come forward and claim for the loss of income they have suffered."
Mr Tom Griffith-Jones in the Western Morning News who said that in just one day he had received more than 30 calls on the matter.
"Most of the calls were from people who wanted to get behind the whole thing," he said, adding that the recent Western Morning News coverage of the campaign had helped enormously to highlight the need for people to come forward, and some people had distributed copies of the article to give the issue further publicity...."
April 24 ~"it is not enough to claim that, since the epidemic was ultimately brought to an end - that this strategy was necessarily successful"
In the control of epidemic disease (and especially in an epidemic where there is no threat to public health from the infection), economic considerations are highly relevant. Thus, the test of success must include whether the strategy was implemented in the most cost-effective way. Any fool can, at great cost, destroy animals and, by that means, bring an epidemic to a halt but this cannot be used as a basis for claims.
Richard North has sent us a memorandum entitled Foot and mouth disease - what went wrong?
April 24 ~ "How can you expect farmers to co-operate when the very organisations set up
to lead the way have all failed us yet again?
We think it is time producers
voiced their opinion loud and clear to those co-operatives or groups to whom
they sell their milk - your time is running out for delivery of your
promises!" A very worrying press release from David Handley at Farmers for Action
April 24 ~" will anyone in the Government accept the findings of Dr Anderson's inquiry if, as seems inevitable, it find fault with Ministerial handling of the crisis?"
asks Mr Peter Ainsworth, Shadow DEFRA secretary, who met and talked with Dr Iain Anderson last night and seems to have been impressed. "I have stressed to Dr Anderson that, in the absence of a full public inquiry, which the Government continues to duck, we need his inquiry to be thorough, robust and transparent. It appears from our meeting that Dr Anderson wants the same thing."... See the recent press release
April 24 ~ The Cumbria Foot & Mouth Enquiry is to be broadcast live daily on the Internet -
April 24 ~ "He dismissed existing FMD computer models as worthless in the UK epidemic."
We have received an account of the Exeter symposium on FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE AND ITS RELATED ISSUES last Saturday from Alan Beat. It amply justifies its opening paragraph "Speakers were smug and complacent, had fixed prejudices and said little that was worthy of repeating here".
However, as a breath of fresh air and real veterinary understanding, there was
"Doctor Marcus Hutber, ... He had worked on FMD research at Pirbright under Paul Kitching, and lived in Czechoslovakia for three years where FMD is endemic; there, vaccination of only the cattle had reduced outbreaks to zero despite large numbers of pigs being present. The reason was simply that housed pigs do not pick up FMD by aerosol, so housing with effective biosecurity stopped disease.
......
If slaughter takes eleven months to eliminate the epidemic, as in the UK, the much faster elimination and lower cost of vaccination outweighs the twelve-month trading penalty. If slaughter provides a much faster route to elimination, then the benefits and costs of vaccination versus slaughter can be weighed, and a decision taken, at the very beginning of an epidemic.
He described a computer model, developed to make these predictions, from basic input data of farms and their livestock in any given situation. (more)
April 24 ~ "when Professor Brownlie misrepresented the Dutch outbreak of 2001 with false statements about more animals killed per case because of vaccinate-to-kill requirements. I interrupted and challenged him to give an honest account instead
and outlined the facts i.e. Dutch permission was for vaccinate-to-live, Dutch farmers had agreed on that basis, the area vaccinated was generous on that basis, and only after the disease had been eliminated did the Dutch government go back on its word and slaughter instead, for solely economic reasons.
Both he and Dick Sibley admitted that these facts were correct and hastily re-drew their description of the Dutch epidemic.
Janet Bayley....said that the EU was now considering a revision of policy in this area to allow resumption of trade after six months instead of twelve following vaccination-to-live, via the use of tests to distinguish between vaccinated and infected animals.
This was the only opportunity to challenge the speakers throughout a long day." "The question-and-answer session that followed was restricted to pre-submitted written questions, enabling the previous speakers to repeat themselves ad nauseam without challenge."
We are sourly amused to read that Alick Simmons, DEFRA, found himself unable to comment or answer questions about the contiguous cull because it was "government policy". (Other questions, about DEFRA bullying for example, were not put to this official.) Government policy was sacrosanct at an apparently serious symposium? One would be pardoned for believing this Stalinist Russia rather than Britain.More on the Exeter "Symposium"
April 24 ~ Mr. Morley: We will have discussions with a range of international experts. My information is that prophylactic vaccination in Uruguay failed to eradicate the disease...
So spoke the man who, more than any other in Britain, ought to have made it his business long ago to hold such discussions about vaccination. In December, after months of horror for the affected areas, his muddled understanding was still directing policy, as this transcript shows. Is Mr Morley less muddled now? Has he now made it his business to find out about Uruguay's success with vaccination? Will he share the views of the international experts - the real experts - with those most involved; the stockholders? It will be noted too that Mr Morley said "At the moment, we do not have the power to pay compensation" Can it be possible that even the junior Minister at DEFRA has not familiarised himself with the EU Article 11 of the 90/424/EEC: Council Decision of 26 June 1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field? Hardly.
April 24 ~ "Current captive-bolt equipment is not designed for small animals. It is illegal.
MAFF/DEFRA used captive bolt guns to cull infant lambs at Great Orton and elsewhere. Not all TVI`s allowed this illegal practice but some did. The results of this procedure were horrific. The lamb was rarely killed outright and its final demise was brought about after several attempts at extinguishing the animal. Eyewitness reports of lambs writhing in agony on the floor during slaughter. MAFF, under orders of Morley, then introduced the Accles and Shelvoke poultry stunner... During the FMD crisis, technical staff had the opportunity to trial this hideous equipment to see the effect on infant lambs. .....There are many other accounts of MAFF/DEFRA atrocities. I have witnessed many. The fact that DEFRA representatives stated at the EU inquiry "There were no animal welfare problems." is simply a lie. "
The contiguous cull itself was not legal. Here, Nick Green points out that many of the repulsive methods of slaughter were illegal too. This account is distressing.
April 24 ~ Defra department threw away agricultural expertise
Andrew Taylor explained to warmwell how bullying in a DEFRA department (the cattle tracing project (CTS) that developed software for British Cattle Movements System) at Guildford in November 2000 resulted in his being unjustly sacked, just months before his unique combination of farming experience and expertise in farming related software were so desperately needed. "I felt so dreadful about this that I couldn't watch the news about foot and mouth for six months. I felt I could have helped - and that was unbearable." ....""I want people in the farming community to get the best and quickest response from the department - and for that there has to be decent management and decency in its internal dealings." (short account of what happened)
April 24 ~ "Britain and several other EU countries want milk quotas scrapped
and new research to be discussed at a conference in Brussels (today) highlights the economic gains of such a move.
The research by some of the world's leading dairy economists found the overall benefit to the European economy of this plan would be just over two billion euros (£2.9 billion) a year....." See farmgate.co.uk An emailer writes in despair, " if this is the future then it is grim indeed...
Facing the lowest milk price for a decade, and we are told to be more competitive ..."
April 23 ~ "It is good to know that so many farmers and others in the countryside approve of what we did."
Lord Moran has written to thank those who sent letters of appreciation to this website thanking him and his supporters for their successful amendment.
April 23 ~ Leachate from Great Orton
Burial
at Great
Orton from the Foot and Mouth bulletin from Cumbria just over a year ago.
"Some difficulties have arisen at the
mass burial site at Great Orton due
to the advanced state of decomposition
of some of the early burials.
Large quantities of liquid leachate
have been drained from the pits and
sent to sewage works for treatment
and discharge into the Irish Sea
through the pipeline at Workington." However, we also heard (as reported below) " last year the liquid being drained from the burial site at Gt Orton was being drained and transported by tanker to the West Cumbrian Coast. It was poured, untreated into the Irish Sea.
My source was a very reliable local journalist. This may still be happening, I will do some checking"
April 23 ~" The English will, as always, put things right their way - late, without obvious passion and with little warning."
It would not have surprised Chesterton to see that the first mass challenge to oppression would come from the small business sector (Class Law Action) or that it would take a highly legalistic form.
Napoleon's "Nation of Shopkeepers" is alive and well, still hiding their emotions in their wallets and purses and pretending that their cause is only money. ..." Pat G provides a Thought for St George's Day
.
April 23 ~ " the spider at the centre of a huge web of snoopers and informants in the countryside"
Today's Telegraph Opinion. "Freedom lovers should view with deep suspicion the Government's decision, announced yesterday, to establish a National Wildlife Crime Intelligence Unit. The official justification for the new police unit is that international criminals make more money from trafficking in protected animals than from any other activity apart from the drugs trade. We very much doubt the truth of that claim.......we wonder about the priorities of a Government that diverts money from protecting British citizens against violence and burglary to looking after Tibetan antelopes and rare orchids.
A sinister aspect of the new unit is that it brings together so many different authorities under one roof. Based at the London headquarters of the National Criminal Intelligence Service, it is to be funded jointly by the Environment Department, the Home Office, the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Scottish Executive. It will liaise closely with HM Customs and Excise and with animal charities such as the RSPB and the RSPCA, politicised bodies which are gradually accumulating too many powers. In short, it will be the spider at the centre of a huge web of snoopers and informants in the countryside.
Used in the wrong way, the unit would pose a formidable threat to freedom. ....."
April 23 ~"I knew very well one man who was ruined by a case brought by the RSPB and
Suffolk police "
(email received after the Telegraph Opinion story was spotted) " I'm very disturbed by the inclusion of the RSPCA and RSPB. These
bodies are outside democratic control and have, to my mind, appalling
reputations for being more interested in a high press profile and their own
salaries than real charity work. This development is very sinister and
should be opposed by all especially in respect of RSPCA involvement. Rolf
Harris has gone to their head.
I knew very well one man who was ruined by a case brought by the RSPB and
Suffolk police. This man had a Victorian collection of stuffed birds in his
pub. Somebody thought it "inappropriate."
Frankly, I believe him when he tells me he was totally innocent of all
wrong-doing. He was broken by the case and lost everything. Almost everybody
in rural Britain seems to detest their use of charitable contributions to
launch cases on dubious grounds."
"A feature of the recent epidemics has been the secret
creation of "joint organisations." There were some very strange meetings
during CSF in East Anglia bringing together a range of bodies including
several police forces. It is only through Nick Green's inimitable style of
home-spun investigative journalism that we know of the Suffolk police's
national role during FMD."
April 23 ~ "When the pyres were stopped, it left the yard with a large quantity of sleepers etc. This caused great cash flow problems. MAFF refused to pay
- until the firm took legal action in the form of Breach of Contract. MAFF eventually paid SOME money in August 2001
BUT They were told they would only be paid if they signed a confidentiality agreement stating they would not talk about the dealings with MAFF.
I have the name and telephone number of the woodyard and would be happy to talk to anyone concerning this." From a letter received by Class Law. The truth about the Minisrty's dirty dealings is coming out.
April 22 ~ "MEETING British farmers has left a group of European MPs visibly moved
during a whistle-stop tour of areas worst hit by the foot and mouth
crisis."
April 22 ~"We used to trust vets and "official" scientists. Now it is plain that they cannot be trusted"
"....Michael was also very sceptical about the reasons for the reporting of bovine TB. He said his neighbour is also due for testing. He, himself, won't keep cattle any more: too much hassle. The family farm had five 'BSE cases'. All, he said, had different symptoms... The first two were old cows with little market value - unless they were "BSE cases" - so they were identified as BSE cases. He suspects that only about a third of the official cases were genuine cases - and that the official statistics are about as reliable as those relating to FMD. He also marvelled that none of the cattle kept on his away fields ever tested positive for TB unless they had been brought back to the main holding - and that a newly tested cow bought in a batch of ten, TB tested clear from the local market was identified as a reactor by the vet, five days afterwards. He doesn't believe that the TB tests and the statistics derived from them are any more reliable.
We used to trust vets and "official" scientists. Now it is plain that they cannot be trusted. As in the case of the salmonella in eggs scam exposed by Richard North and Christopher Booker [see "the Death of British Agriculture"], they collect selective statistics and fudge their test results to suit their own purposes or so that their political or corporate masters can carry out their intentions under the cover of "being guided by science..." a typical email received on the subject of TB, dodgy diagnosis and the political spinning of statistics
April 22 ~ How much more are the British people going to take before they revolt?
The French have proved they are sick to death of spin. Plastered across France are the posters that may well have accounted for the extraordinary success of M le Pen in yesterday's first round of French Elections. "France and the French FIRST" say the words below a picture of a serious le Pen, so different from the simpering faces of all his opponents. So many otherwise silent French are fed up with European bullying, regulations and the imposition of the euro. They love France and French traditions and -forgetting all his other views - believe that le Pen is their man. Meanwhile, in Britain, the BBC who used to be renowned across the world for being the quiet, sane voice of British decency has decided to ditch Frederick Forsyth because "some senior executives do not like his views" . As we read on the news pages of the Campaign for an Independent Britain, "the BBC proves how far it has travelled since the days it spoke for Britain during the Second World War. It is now dominated by those who are only happy at the dining tables of North London pseudo intellectuals, where they can sneer at everything decent about this country, deprecate the views of the ordinary British people, connive at the suppression of free speech, and yet, by the process of doublethink of which Orwell warned, can believe themselves to be fine, upstanding liberal minded individuals." If readers share our affectionate regard for the forthright and witty Mr Forsyth and the refreshing nature of his broadcasts, please could they complain loudly to the BBC or to the press? Here he is, for example, on The abolition of Habeas Corpus
. Please ring 0870 0100222 : FAX 0141 3075770
email : info@bbc.co.uk - and, as usual, we would be very pleased to hear from you too. These letters have already been sent to the Newcastle Journal
April 22 ~ WHERE are they sending the Great Orton leachate?
Susan writes, "Having just read Pet er Greenhill's report on the visit to Gt Orton, a
question arises in my mind - WHERE are they sending the leachate from these
sites? Does anybody know? And how on earth are they transporting it?"
Anne L, a highly knowledgeable emailer to this site, says "In reply to request by Sue on your website for info re Great Orton, Sunday Telegraph article, Feb 17th 2002, by Francis Elliott (much of article about Birtwhistle) stated that the leachate is taken away by tankers - "about 300,000 litres each day for treatment at special plants in the Midlands."
"From the start, however, the principal problem with the mass grave has been the fluid, leachate, seeping form the trenches. Last summer it was producing waste equivalent to that of the sewers of Carlisle - now the engineers responsible for its maintenance say that it is now equivalent to the waste from a small village."
Another emailer writes: " last year the liquid being drained from the burial site at Gt Orton was being drained and transported by tanker to the West Cumbrian Coast. It was poured, untreated into the Irish Sea.
My source was a very reliable local journalist. This may still be happening, I will do some checking"
April 22 ~ Class Law Solicitors (hand) delivered the following letter to the Government today. This signals the beginning of a landmark legal challenge over the Government's handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis.
Class Law uphold that MAFF/DEFRA ignored opportunities to pick up on the disease, and failed to stop all movement of animals for four days after official notification.
Scientific evidence and expert witnesses support the case at every stage, and the letter states clearly that the Government acted unlawfully and irresponsibly.
The letter, addressed to DEFRA, seeks Pre-Action Disclosure on behalf of the UK Rural Business Campaign which represents victims throughout Britain. "The UKRBC is fighting for full and fair compensation for all those affected, a public inquiry and the establishing of safeguards to ensure an outbreak on such a scale never happens again. In parts of the country, some were so desperate that they committed suicide....Some businesses have survived, but at a great cost; others have not. Although the disease has now been eradicated, its scars remain - no longer on the animals, but on the lives and livelihood of thousands of people. It is these people who have felt constrained to join together to form the UK Rural Business Campaign " (See full press release)
April 22 ~ " The evidence that our clients have uncovered so far indicates that the Department were negligent in relation to both the detection and also the control of the disease...
...Their failures set out above amount also to breaches of statutory duty, breaches of European law and of Article 1 of Protocol 1 of the ECHR. More particularly, it is likely that the above failures are indicative of misfeasance in public office. "
The Class Law letter refers to alleged failures on the part of MAFF and/or DEFRA to investigate and/or recognise FMD before the official confirmation on 20th February 2001
It points out that in January 2001 there were sheep in various parts of the country which were lame and there were sheep miscarrying. No laboratory tests were carried out.
Export certificates were signed without the necessary checks being carried out.
A vet at a slaughter house in early February, suspected FMD and ordered all the animals to be slaughtered but Ministry tests do not seem to have been carried out to eliminate or confirm FMD.
After antibodies were detected in sheep exported to France and the authorities redistributed the sheep at the points of export (against advice) among various farmers through the country.
The Department permitted the livestock haulier, who had delivered the allegedly infected pigs to Cheale meats, to drive around in the same van without its being ordered to be disinfected.
The letter points out that, contrary to Article 1 of Commission Decision 2001/145/EC of 21st February 2001, the Government appear not to have imposed restrictions on movement .....during which time the disease was free to spread through the UK. (see letter)
April 22 ~ "Ms Lucas said it had become obvious to her that a smokescreen of confusion had been created around the whole issue of vaccination during the foot-and-mouth outbreak."
A news report from the Scottish site,courier.co.uk, reports that Caroline Lucas said that she "felt that the farming unions in the United Kingdom had been less than open about using vaccination as a control method, saying that it could never be anything other than one step away from slaughter." and adds, "Perhaps one reason why a vaccination policy had not been considered was provided by one of the Dutch MEPs who observed just how much the overall control policy had been wrapped up in bureaucracy.
In his country, he said that local vets were able to take quick decisions and this was critical in viral disease control.
Ms Lucas agreed that it seemed the inability of local vets and ministry officials was a major factor in the disease spinning rapidly outwards."
April 22 ~ Illegal Imports a red herring?
from the same news report (above)
"...Carolyn Lucas, a Green Party MEP from the UK, said that the illegal
importation of meats used by ethnic minorities was one of the big concerns
that had been raised with the touring group of MEPs."
- but an emailer comments: "The question of ethnic minorities has been raised again in connection
with illegal imports. This tune has been constantly sung by the NFU since the 2000
Classical Swine Fever outbreak in East Anglia. There is no evidence to tie illegal imports with the recent
outbreaks...and the desperation of the pig industry, in particular, and MAFF/DEFRA
to prove otherwise makes me highly suspicious.
They found the CSF source pig and insisted that a rambler had fed the sow a ham
sandwich from a footpath. When it was pointed out that there was no
footpath they said someone had strayed from a path "because of mud" and fed
the pig a ham sandwich. When it was pointed out that CSF is not carried by
cooked ham, they said the ham sandwich must have been made with foreign
uncooked ham. How many ramblers do you know that make their sandwiches from
non-uk ham?
Then the pig industry published material that, by implication, blamed illegal
immigrants. Why?
The fact that the source pig was owned by a company with third world farming
interests never got a mention."
"Incidentally, MAFF held back the names of both
the owners and the infected farms
claiming "it was against RCVS rules."
Their field staff were under orders not to identify farms or exact
locations. Why?
Then FMD and the story about South African seamen and Chinese Restaurants.
Someone in MAFF planted that story. Why?" (full message)
April 22 ~ 'When is vaccination not vaccination? When it is 'foot and mouth' vaccination!"
Jim Clapp Veterinary Surgeon.
This 'Quote of the day' ( from Kendal EU Inquiry meeting)was sent to us by Alicia Eykyn who adds, "The trip to The North is now completed. There has been much criticism of the tour, but is my belief ( and I hope I am not being naïve) most of shortcomings were not intentional.
For example, I know for a fact we have the Conservatives to thank for checking with the EU Legal Dept, and clearing up the matter of public or private meetings. In consequence we now know that all meetings except those on 'visits' MUST be open to the public, subject to space available and all may be recorded." Mrs Eykyn also intends to make the following suggestions to the secretariat and feels that if they were taken up, much of the criticism would disappear.
April 21 ~ "Even the short distance from the UK means that Brussels is devoid of the essential fine detail
of the past year and Peter (Greenhill) thinks that after Gt. Orton, the pfennig began to drop about the tidal wave of anger which is building up and was seen to overflow on a couple of occasions. "
Please read Suzanne's message if you too share the tidal wave of anger.
April 21 ~ Warmwell asks, how on earth can Lord Whitty still make out that the contiguous cull was legal? Testily repeating over and over again that it was, does not make it legal.
The "we won Winslade" argument is fatally flawed. Lord Whitty in Wednesday's Livestock debate in the Lords cited the Winslade case as proof that the contiguous culls were "legal". But, by omission, the Ministry misled the Court. Judge Mitting in the Winslade case was unaware of the articles by Professor Donaldson that so impressed Lord Justice Harrison in the Grunty case. Defra had not brought them to his attention - even though Fred Landeg has acknowledged that he had them in draft before they were published on 12th May 2001. This must mean that he had them in late April/early May.
In a letter that has been on this website since last July, Stephen Smith QC, pointed out in paragraph 25: "The judgments of Mitting, J., on which the Ministry has been wont to place reliance are flawed because the Donaldson articles were not drawn to the Judge's attention (even though the Ministry had had those articles in draft for some time before the hearings in those cases). Nor did the Judge have the benefit of evidence from an expert such as Dr. Sumption, Professors Elwood and Duffus, or Dr. Kitching. Indeed I do not believe that any independent scientific evidence was put before the Court on those occasions. "
Our understanding, (from a conversation with Barbara Jordan solicitor,) is that there is a fundamental rule that when you make an urgent application to Court for an injunction without giving the other side proper notice (as happened in Winslade), you must make "full and frank disclosure" of all material facts and matters. But the Ministry never mentioned the Pirbright research into local spread when they made the application in Winslade (20th May). That research was directly relevant to the position the Ministry adopted in Winslade. In short, by omission, the Ministry misled the Court.
Why did Mr Fred Landeg not draw the attention of the Judge
in the Winslade case to Professor Alex Donaldson's articles? Was it his own decision? Was it a lawyer's? Was it an official's or politician's?
In the Grunty case, where this material was brought to the attention of the Judge, (see paragraph 14 of Stephen Smith QC's letter) Mr Landeg tried ineffectually to make light of it. It is highly likely that that evidence would have made a significant difference to the outcome of the case.
However, it does not actually matter whether it would have made such a difference or not; the decision would not have stood if it had been challenged because that material from the Veterinary Record was highly relevant, was available to the Ministry and had not been put before the Court.
(a reminder of what that judgement did to the family)
April 21 ~ "My wife is terrified and we still have a padlock on the front gate of the
cottage in a pathetic attempt to try to stop government vets getting back
in."
"Both The Chief Veterinary Officer and then Nick Brown the then Minister of
Agriculture promised us a full investigation in writing a year ago tomorrow,
following a request to the Speaker of the House for protection.
We have heard nothing, but I see that the Defra manager responsible has been
promoted, so I guess we have our answer...." Read why Pat will not be responding to EFRA's request for information
April 21 ~ " Last week I challenged agriculture minister Lord Whitty's claim to MEPs that the controversial 'contiguous cull'...had been upheld by the courts"
writes Christopher Booker in today's Sunday Telegraph. "On Wednesday three peers, Lord Monro of Langholm, Lord Onslow and the Countess of Mar, asked Whitty to substantiate his claim. His reply was that the cull was upheld in two cases known as Winslade and Westerhall. "The legality of the cull is not in doubt".
When I read this to a senior lawyer involved in the battle over the cull, he was incredulous (his exact word was 'b******s!"). Although the government won those cases, they were resolved on individual circumstances. In no way did they approve the cull in principle.
The nearest thing to a legal test was the case of 'Grunty the pig' last June, when Mr Justice Harrison ruled in the High Court that the government had no power to impose a "blanket slaughter policy" and that, under the Animal Health Act 1981, each case must be assessed individually. In other words, wherever the government slaughtered on general principle it was acting illegally. Lord Whitty thus misled not only the European Parliament but also our own.
This strangely casual approach to the truth shown by our agriculture ministers was further
illustrated by a saga which began last November when Margaret Beckett based the case for her new Animal Health Bill on a claim that 55 farms around Thirsk had resisted the ministry slaughter policy, 29 of their appeals had been upheld, yet nine were later found to have foot-and-mouth. Following pressure from Lord Jopling, Lord Whitty admitted on December 20 that these figures had been applied to Thirsk in error. They related to the whole of North Yorkshire. In a letter to Jopling on January 10 Elliot Morley further corrected the figures, admitting there had been only 16 appeals from Thirsk and only two farms found infected; and Lord Whitty grudgingly conceded on the floor of the House that the Thirsk farmers had been maligned. Yet, when appearing two weeks ago before MEPs, he without a blush repeated much the same figures for which he had earlier apologised, claiming that in the Thirsk area 27 appeals had been upheld and seven farms found infected.
Again he must have hoped that if he repeated his untruths, no one would notice. It is getting rather a habit. " (full article)
April 21 ~ "The UK could have controlled the disease by vaccination using the present potent vaccines. The cost in terms of money and the suffering of rural communities - including farmers suicides - was many times higher than in Uruguay."
(see article on Uruguay) But from Fordyce Maxwell in Saturday's Scotsmanwe read,
"Wolfgang Kreissl-Dorfler, German MEP and former farmer, who will write the committee's report, said that vaccination had not been possible in the UK last year as the epidemic spread too quickly and too far but he expected recommendations for a future vaccination policy to be a central part of his report.
Malcolm Corbett, chairman of Northumberland NFU during much of the epidemic, was one of the farmers who met the MEPs at Hexham mart yesterday, and supported "vaccination next time".
He said: " It was not possible last year, but we vaccinate animals to try to prevent a wide range of diseases, so why not foot-and-mouth?
WRONG WRONG WRONG. It was perfectly possible. Why have the farmers here swallowed the spin? Why do journalists print that vaccination wasn't possible? They have believed the information that originated NOT with the scientists who knew most about the practicalities of vaccination but with the government, chemist David King, Chief Vet Scudamore and the mathematical modellers. If vaccination wasn't going to work in the UK how did it work in Uruguay? In Uruguay,
the outbreak lasted from the end of April until the end of August. The incident rates were comparable with those of the UK in 2001 and were about 50 per day one month after the outbreak. At this point - one month in -vaccination of all the cattle was started.
There was no slaughter on infected farms because the farmers resisted the idea.
Instead, animals were quarantined and there was a stand still of animal movement. Almost 11 million cattle were vaccinated - the 12 million sheep grazing beside them were not. Vaccination was carried out by the farmers themselves. . On the 26th of August Uruguay had their last case. (see vaccination pages)
April 21 ~ "Yet Mrs. Beckett, as combative, unbending and unwilling to listen as ever, sticks to the discredited old line. She refuses to accept that anything whatsoever of use came out the the Devon inquiry and declares it a mere "local issue"....
"Mrs. Beckett has been in the job for less than a year. Her department has been in existence for the same short period. But when it was set up, from the wreckage of the old Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, rural people were prepared to give it - and her as its new boss - a chance, Her time is now up. Country people are not quick to judge. But they will not be taken for fools. And the evidence has been stacking up against Mrs. Beckett virtually since her first speech in her role as Secretary of State.
She has lectured farmers about accepting change - when the vast majority have been adapting and diversifying in an attempt to stay afloat for years.
She has snubbed invitations to visit rural areas - even though she could have learned a great deal about the problems faced by those people who her department is supposed to serve.
She told country people there was "no problem " with disposing of unwanted fridges in the countryside - as the mountain grows ever higher and the search for a solution remain elusive.
Worst of all she never really connected with rural Britain, in any meaningful way since her very first day in the job. Farmers felt badly served by Nick Brown, the last Agriculture Minister, but at least he listened, tried to understand their difficulties and, initially at least appear to offer some hope.
Mrs. Becket looks like the wrong person in the wrong job with no interest and no answers for the countryside. Her dismissal of the hard work of the Devon foot and mouth inquiry just about puts the lid on it. She has to go."( Opinion: Western Morning News)
April 21 ~ .....Gretna for the visit's only scheduled public meeting, which was due to last about two and a half hours. However, a considerable portion of this time was given over to invited "expert" speakers.
The Cumberland & Westmorland Herald was not impressed by the EU Temporary Committee's visit. "Friday's itinery included visits to Hexham mart, Hadrian's Wall, the Great Orton airfield burial site and the Shepherd's Inn, Carlisle. A number of farms were also visited and the delegation's trip was due to end this morning at the Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, for discussion on the effects of the crisis on the tourism industry.
The itinery did not include any meetings or farm visits in the Eden area. Former Cumbria NFU chairman Chris Woods, of Newby, said: "All they seem to be doing is running around the countryside - they should have come to Penrith and Appleby areas where things really went wrong. Also, I understand the people invited to these meetings were allowed to take a guest, but the guests were not allowed to speak. What's the point of that?" He added: "I'm told that most of the committee members don't speak English, which doesn't help."
There was also criticism of the organisation of the visit, by the Green Party, even though its MEP for South East England, Dr Caroline Lucas, is vice-President of the Inquiry team. She was said to be feeling "deeply frustrated" that her efforts to ensure the public got the right to speak had been "obstructed at every turn".
North West Green Party spokesman Vanessa Hall said: " What kind of public inquiry would seek to hinder public involvement like this? This is an extremely important issue in which many farmers and others in the North West feel they've been trampled on." She added: " It's completely wrong of Labour politicians to try and muzzle and nobble the inquiry." ......
April 21 ~ "As for Gretna, the so called 'public' meeting, the 'experts'....three politicians (two Labour) and a SNFU member are a
long way from giving the "ordinary" viewpoint.
In fact it was obvious they
did not want anyone at that meeting to make any contrary criticism of their
slap on the back, "everything went very very well", speeches. No public
there - then no one likely to contradict what they are saying. If you don't
want the public there - don't tell them they can come. Quite simple.
Better
still, stay far away from the very areas that you know you will get the
flak - Cumbria (especially Penrith Spur) and Yorkshire. And somebody please
tell me, why why why has nobody thought to take their inquiry to
Settle/Skipton/Clitheroe area? Perhaps we might find that as the carnage
there in May last year was so intrically woven in with all the political
decision making about a General Election that the risk of a potentially
damaging confrontation might be more than the spin machine could withstand?
Is anyone brave enough to go there?" (Elaine, eloquently voicing the anger of many)
April 21 ~ "The 3 day media blitz on Welsh TB - 10 cows in one herd? So what?
we can
tell of 72, 62, 46 etc etc from Staffs to Hereford & Glos to Devon. So why?
How about to keep the EU party of MEP's (Caroline Lucas, Robert Sturdey and
co.) off the trail of one Welsh farmer who reckons he had clinical FMD in
October 2000 - and Defra didn't want to know. The media is full of TB and
burying the story of this chap, while the EU enquiries are going on. Just
like the Sept. 11th - spin city.
Or am I just a cynical old hack?" writes a farmer who isn't.
April 21 ~ "Ooooer, Ooooarrr"
comments a sheep farmer in Devon who has cattle too. " I still don't get all the huff and puff about bovine TB. Perhaps the news media just want another "shock, horror" animal story.
I noted from Richard North's "Death of British Agriculture" that Sir John Krebs' PhD thesis was on the territorial habits of woodland birds...."
April 20 ~"I heard that the previous night's meeting had been somewhat contentious with the farming and tourism sectors on directly opposing sides. Today there were distinct efforts to try and bring the two sides together".
Elaine sends this account of the Kendal meeting "Luckily we only had a few brief statements from a few of the MEPs present in the Chairman's efforts to give everyone a chance to speak, if only for a few minutes, as they had to leave on time to catch their flight back to Europe.
Amongst those who spoke were the Labour Leader of Cumbria County Council; a selection of business people involved in tourism who spoke about vaccination, Ruth Watkins, Prof Fred Brown and MAFF incompetence as well as their own business problems; a health worker talking about the mental effects of the outbreak; a gentleman from Wensleydale highlighting the problems there; three well known members of the local NFU ( Peter Allen, Steve Dunning & Gordon Capstick) plus another farmer; the vets Helen O'Hare (on animal welfare) and Jim Clapp (on the use of TVIs); a gentleman requesting the EU look at the legality of the contiguous and 3 km cull; and me asking if the EU committee could return to Cumbria again and have a proper fully open public meeting as we did not think we were given a proper chance to air our views at Gretna."
April 20 ~" 'Vets Missed F&M Outbreak' - Sky news tonight
A Welsh farmer is claiming there was an outbreak of foot and mouth disease
on his farm several months before the national epidemic broke out in
February last year.
Vernon Evans says some of the cattle on his Aberdale property were showing
signs of the disease in September 2000.
He claims that at the time, the Ministry of Agriculture didn't make a proper
examination of his cattle which were salivating and had sores on their
hooves. Mr Evans now wants two dead animals buried on his farm exhumed and tested for the disease. The Welsh Assembly has so far refused to dig up the animals."
See Sky News article We are told that, although the spokesman for the Welsh Assembly said " it would be too late to determine whether the animals were infected", RNA tests would indeed be able to determine whether the dead animals had had foot and mouth.
April 20 ~"This tour was unreal. It had all the pride and glory of the Nazi party conducting a Heritage Tour around Belsen..."
Peter Greenhill's account of the EU delegation's trip to Great Orton is essential reading. "I think everyone was stunned into an uncomfortable silence except for the extended chatter of our well-meaning guide."
April 20 ~ "In answer, if your question were to me. Nobody is in control of Defra. I've seen this scenario before. When Labour won power, they were not interested and left a vacuum. "
An emailer writes, "The MAFF civil servants filled the gap with a poorly understood version of Thatcherism aided by some of their big business pals (often Tory grandees ) and the NFU. Their official Mission Statement or whatever encouraged them to believe their duty was to big business, especially once their food safety role was taken away.
I think they thought "*** it" and flew too close to the flame.
Civil Servants of all kinds are very vulnerable if left unguided and unprotected. Thatcherism works well in the economic field, but it needs strong clean government and an incorruptible civil service.
It is neglect by Labour and of course they must take the ultimate responsibility, but it is a sin of omission rather then commission.
Actually, I'm far more sympathetic to the individuals concerned than I appear....
I worked very closely with some of Hitler's ex-officers (unrepentant ones too) and I learned the hard way that you must go for the "sin" not the "sinner" but sometimes it is necessary to halt the sinner in his tracks first.
It is for the justice system to show clemency, not us"
April 20 ~ "The whole tragedy is beyond my comprehension. Here was a group of country people, a cross-section of rural society, who had just been through the worst farming disaster for centuries....."
Ten million animals had been killed at the behest of a non-understanding, urban government in cahoots with an out-of-touch agri-business organisation calling itself, inaccurately, the National Farmers Union.
Now that same government wants to criminalise hundreds of thousands of these people because they chase foxes, and this after most of the foot and mouth slaughter - possibly more than 90 per cent - was illegal and involved healthy animals." Robin Page, writing today in the Telegraph
April 20 ~ "The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding."
This website has, for a year, deplored the "insidious encroachment" by the dead hand of centralisation on much that we hold very dear in England and in what was the United Kingdom. Now, we quote Richard North's article from 1997. Then it was concerning the docks blockade and the beef on the bone ban - but how horribly familiar it all sounds. Extract:
"...Walter Bagehot, sometime editor of the Economist. I quoted one of his arguments against the steady incursions of centralised government, summed up in the following passage:
"Our freedom is the result of centuries of resistance, more or less legal, more or less illegal, more or less audacious, or more or less timid, to the executive government. ..... We look on State action, not as our own action, but as alien action; as an imposed tyranny from without, not as a consummated result of our own organized wishes". .......And, once again I find myself quoting from the same piece I wrote those many years ago, this time United States Judge Louis Brandeis, in 1928, who warned that,
"Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government's purposes are beneficial. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion to their liberty by evil minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding. ... ".....(read more)
April 20 ~ "Madame Redonda did not chair the Kendal meeting, thankfully
- it was the Dutch MEP Mulder so it went like clockwork and all who wished to speak got a chance, albeit very briefly, a few minutes only. There were supposed to be 50 invited guests - name tags on chairs but mnany did not turn up. Quite a few left through the proceedings too. Although we started off on a tourism theme, it soon became apparent that anything was up for discussion and I really felt that this should have been the open meeting - with perhaps another hour given to accommodate it. "
(email just receivedfrom Elaine)
April 20 ~ Who IS in control at Defra? Why are we hearing information from government vets which is then denied by Elliot Morley?
The TB/Wales story appears to show a crack emerging between HMG and the SVS.
Mr Pugh evidently spoke without consulting. He is out of order by Whitehall rules.
It is quite normal and right, not to allow multiple contacts from any large
organisation with the media. That is not the same as encouraging spin.
This sort of discipline makes sure that the media gets the right information, correctly
presented. Anything less causes chaos.
Also it makes the person at the top fully accountable. If Mr Morley is in control
of the press office, he has to take responsibility for what comes out.
Allowing regional managers to say what they like is a recipe for disaster. Why cannot Mr Morley control those in the SVS? During the foot and mouth crisis so many of the DVMs were less than impressive - not up to the job and full of bluster - yet they seem to think they can speak on behalf of their Ministry. We can only feel sympathy for the many civil servants caught up in the muddle - who are likely to be the scapegoats for the Ministry's shortcomings if we are not careful.
April 20 ~ "No livestock production in the UK - would be the objective of a lot of
Groups."
"It certainly seems to have been decided in a secretive,
undemocratic EU that Britain's livestock industry is as expendable as was
our fishing industry. Once we are unable to provide even the current 50% of
our food needs, we will finally have lost the battle and be forever
subservient to the EU. I believe the loss of our fishing to the EU was more
about the EU needing our oil, which lay in our territorial waters. The EU
has now almost exhausted our oil fields as opposed to Norway who had the
foresight to remain outside the web of the EU."
In a well-argued letter in reply to a farmer in Kansas, David looks at the morass of legislation British farmers are stuck in and the legitimate, heartfelt - but often less than helpful concerns(to farming) of CIWF.
April 20 ~ "Your report for the Hexham meeting isn't very clear and I think you may have
suffered from 'Chinese whispers' "
warmwell has received the following welcome clarification:
from Roger Walker.
"Pat and I were invited by Dr Caroline Lucas MEP to submit evidence to the
delegation of MEP's at the meeting of the European Parliamentary committees
inquiry into FMD. We prepared a presentation of about 8 minutes, all we were
allowed, covering cases that we had been involved with. I gave our
presentation which was well received by the delegates and then Pat made an
admirable job of fielding questions from the delegates. We also had the
opportunity to chat with delegates one-to-one and handed over a dossier of
reports and information including press cuttings for cases in which we had
been involved.
Evidence was also submitted by representatives of the NFU, land owners/large
farmers and a representative from the rural business sector."
April 20 ~ We find it interesting that so many of the MEPs are pro-vaccination
- but
they were before the inquiry even started, so it cannot be said that the
inquiry has helped them change their minds. Perhaps it is that they sense
the popular mood and will happily latch on to it for no other reason than it
is the current popular flavour.
What escapes them perhaps is that vaccination was right for the
2001 epidemic - but it may not be right for the next one. The crucial feature of
2001 was that it was an uncontained epidemic with multiple outbreaks, where the
classic policy of "contain and slaughter" could not and did not work. If we
have another epidemic of the the 1967 pattern, spotted early, then the original
policy of contain and slaughter could probably be perfectly adequate. There would not
be any call for vaccination.
So, the central lesson that they are missing is that, in 2001, there was
the wrong contingency plan - it was the wrong type of epidemic. There was no
contingency for dealing with an uncontained epidemic. What followed was a panicky and illegal "kill everything quickly" policy carried out for motives that have been widely discussed already.
April 20 ~ Carwyn Jones off the hook?
The key players who ordered the widespread killing of healthy animals and who remained deaf to all urgent pleas for common sense to prevail are now, it seems, anxious to explain to the various Inquiries that it was all because of "orders from above" - in particular from Professor David King, Mr J Scudamore and COBR.
"FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE CONTROLS -
AN ASSESSMENT BY THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FOR WALES" has been published on the internet. The question about vaccination starts at paragraphs 26-30.
And the final paragraph of the report reads:-
The need for stronger legal powers on contiguous culling would have made it much easier to implement the policy; this has now been recognised through the provisions of the current legislation going through the UK Parliament. What will be their line when it emerges definitively, as it will, that the contiguous cull was illegal and that "stronger" legal powers cannot right an already committed wrong?
April 20 ~ "..clear hints that the whole European Union should return to a
vaccination policy to control the disease."
Today's Scotsman:
"A report of the (i.e. EU FMD Temporary Committee) committee's findings will not be produced until early
autumn, to be debated by the European Parliament in November, but during its
visit to Northumberland yesterday, its vice-chairman, Caroline Lucas, said:
"Vaccination is a key issue. Personally, I think there should have been much
more emphasis on it last year.
"The NFU did its members a disservice by not making it clear that there was
provision for vaccination and compensation."
"......Philip Whitehead, the Labour MEP for the East Midlands, said an action
plan was vital because foot-and-mouth would be back: "World trade and people
travelling much more make that certain.
"We're not the only country having problems with illegal meat imports.
Germany alone has great problems with large numbers of its Turkish work
force bringing meat back when they visit their home country.
"We'll be better prepared for animal disease next time, whether it's
foot-and-mouth or swine fever, but it will be back."
- Pat Gardner sends this comment: "Ye Gods! An MEP has grasped the essential point.
You can't stop illegal imports. Anyway many of the risky ones are legal. A
fact long known to every professional in Customs, international shipping and
transport.
It is no good howling at the moon, you must deal with the consequences of
increased trade and travel, not waste time and money mucking about at sea
and airports or screaming for unenforcable legislation."
April 20 ~ "Farming Today This Week" concerned an item on E.coli 0157 [becoming endemic in farm animals, private water supplies - responsible for deaths - and increases in food and farm regulations.]
A Google search on CIA and E.coli 0157 [connected because of allegations about Tyson Foods, CIA "Industrial Espionage" work and the UK outbreak of FMD] quickly brings up this reference to an article from Jane's Defense Weekly, May 1, 1998. It is a long article and deals with anthrax, Iraq, and many other current themes.
..extract:".....This has caused scientists to speculate how E.coli 0157:H7 originally came into existence, and how it became a toxin- generating microbe. There are some scientists who argue that the strain emerged naturally and mutated from bacteria exchanging genetic information. According to others, it could have been bio-engineered in a laboratory and spread from there. Most scientific favor rests with the first argument. In terms of research into E.coli, Croddy's view is that: "All the major European powers are tinkering about with it defensively..."
April 20 ~ TB cases down on last year?
The Guardian today says," The latest figures for Britain as a whole, covering January and
February, suggest 184 herds were confirmed as having new TB cases,
147 in England, 34 in Wales and three in Scotland. This was fewer than
the 311 in the first two months of last year, and 478 cases
for all of 2001. Unlike foot and mouth cases, only affected animals are
slaughtered, although others are put under restrictions and
tested again two months later. "
April 20 ~
This Sunday, April 21, the United States will seek to remove
Jose Bustani, the head of the Organisation for the
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), from his post.
Under his lead, according to the Guardian article by George Monbiot:
"His inspectors have overseen the destruction
of 2 million chemical weapons and two-thirds of the world's
chemical weapon facilities. He has so successfully cajoled
reluctant nations that the number of signatories to the
convention has risen from 87 to 145 in the past five years:
the fastest growth rate of any multilateral body in recent
times."
But in the eyes of the US State Department, Bustani has been
a nuisance. First, he's attempted to treat the US like any
other signatory to the body, and the US, not unlike its
enemy Iraq, is unsatisfied with the inspectors he's chosen.
Second, he's actively working with Iraq to encourage it to
accept inspectors, which would undercut support for a second
US-led Gulf War. For these reasons, the State Department
wants him deposed....."
April 20 ~ In Eire, Seán MacManus has called for government action to bring an end to the massive level of red tape and bureaucracy involved in farming.
"It is therefore vital that this income is received on time, with minimum red tape. The Department of Agriculture must end their practice of treating farmers as fraudsters for basic errors made in applying for monies to which they are legally entitled.
"Sinn Fiin favours a simplification of EU procedures that have our farmers plagued with overcomplicated forms and regulations. There needs to be an Irish examination of EU laws relating to farmers to curb and control Brussels bureaucracy.
"Small farmers in particular are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain a living off the land. We should not permit regulations and guidelines to place an extra burden on them.''....(see report in the Leitrim Observer)
April 20 ~ "The National Trust has criticised a lack of Government resources to develop and deliver policies which recognise the link between farming, public access and the health of the countryside.
The Trust said its tenant farmers lost nearly 50,000 sheep and cattle to culling and the charity lost £4.5 million due to extra costs and a decline in visitor numbers.
The charity today called on ministers to take a wider view of the link between farming and the prosperity of the countryside, when tackling disease outbreaks. " (Ananova article)
April 20 ~ 320,000 units of sheep quota have been withdrawn from the UK as a result of last year's package of changes to the EU Sheep Regime.
April 19 ~ "We are consulting on the sheep envelope in remote rural areas," said Elliot Morley
who's minister for stuff in the ministry of rural stuff, or whatever they call it now. The sheep envelope? For heaven's sake, what's that? Is it like a gigantic Jiffy bag? "If you think your ewes might have foot and mouth, just pop them into this reply-paid envelope and mail it to the ministry, if you can find a postbox big enough"?
Every time I go to see questions on rural affairs, "(writes the admirable Simon Hoggart today in the Guardian) "they have more of this jargon. And it's all different. They do their turn once a month, and every four weeks they come up with language which nobody has ever heard before.....
Then you get Elliot "Bring Me Sunshine" Morley back to talk about the problems of "rural-proofing". This seems to have something to do with "grazing regimes". No one knows what these are. Maybe they're military juntas whose members eat a lot of snacks.
"Generalissimo! The traitor Ainsworth has been discovered in the act of stuffing sheep envelopes with drugs, used twenties and copies of the Daily Mail. Permission to have him tortured!"
"Mmmff, shorry, my mouthsh full at the mumment ... "
( some background to TB in cattle from the Guardian on March 1. Vaccine at least 10 years away. What did Mr Morley mean by:-
"This is a world-class scientific breakthrough which gives us a wide range of new information with which to fight this disease." ??)
April 19 ~"During the 3 harried phone calls
that various vets made to my house, I tried in vain to explain that we had no
contact with any livestock
and that the field was surrounded by track ,road
and garden. I was refused blood tests and was told that I "was holding up the
cull" One pet owner's story, just received by email. She adds, referring to yesterday's gretna meeting, "When Phil Jones the Chief Executive of Dumfries and Galloway Council,
stood up to object to Nick Green's correct assertions of bullying tactics of
Dumfries and Galloway I could no longer remain silent...."
April 19 ~ "One side only wants to look back and cares about little else than embarrassing the Government. The other won't look back where it can avoid it and is trying to ensure the focus is firmly on the future"
(From the Viewpoint column of the Farmers Guardian today ".... Questioning in Strasbourg has for the main part left witnesses unscathed. Then there is this week's four day jaunt to the north of England and Scotland. Farmers had hoped it would give them a real platform to explain what really went on. But just one public meeting was organised, in Gretna in the middle of Thursday afternoon. The invite only system of the other meetings has created only confusion and never going to be suspicion that witnesses have been hand picked.
It is difficult to believe that moves by Labour MEPs to limit the number of public meetings, were not influenced in some way by the Labour Government. But committee members from other parties who have drawn attention to this have not been averse to manipulating the investigation to suit their own ends, either political point scoring has split the committee in two and robbed it of direction. One side only wants to look back and cares about little else than embarrassing the Government. The other won't look back where it can avoid it and is trying to ensure the focus is firmly on the future....(read article)
April 19 ~ "My sheep were culled on April 4 2001, and to date I have not received any
payment for them."
"They were slaughtered in the 3 km cull, which incidentally was five weeks
after the neighbouring farm was confirmed with FMD. My sheep were perfectly
healthy and yet were still slaughtered. I'm quite sure they could have been
tested, found to be healthy and left alone, along with numerous other sheep
within this area, particularly as they had been left for five weeks anyway.
Are there any of your readers that had animals culled and not yet received
any payment for them? If so could they please contact me and maybe together
we can get compensation payments for these animals.
Up to now I have written numerous letters to DEFRA, Scottish Executive and
local MP's but no-one is interested.
V. Heath.
K9Beck@btinternet.com " A letter in today's Farmers Guardian
April 19 ~ Cumbria Foot and Mouth Disease Inquiry will add to EU Report
The European Parliament Temporary Committee on Foot and Mouth Disease will take in evidence the report and conclusions of Cumbria's own Foot and Mouth Inquiry, which begins early next month. The news comes following a meeting between the County Council and the EU Temporary Committee yesterday when representatives from the Council and other agencies explained the devastating impact that the crisis had on the county. County Council Leader Rex Toft explains: (see Cumbria County Council Press Release)
April 19 ~ "This time last year, there was a perfectly adequate vaccine and it could have prevented millions of animals being culled and unimaginable human trauma.
"We have heard a lot of nonsense about looking to develop a vaccine which could prevent foot-and-mouth but a perfectly good one already exists and has done so for many years.
"Because of an election last year, the control of the disease was taken out of the hands of animal experts and put in the hands of mathematicians in London." The senior vet, Roger Windsor, speaking at Gretna yesterday. The meeting was reported in the Scotsman.
April 19 ~ TB reactors have been found all over Devon, for years; without all the dramatic reporting.
Lawrence writes tonight, "I am puzzling over the BBC reporting of the TB cases in Wales. TB reactors have been found all over Devon, for years; without all the dramatic reporting. Even finding TB in a new area hardly seems to justify news items which seem to imply that we are in for a new mass killing of farm animals. ....control of TB was in the hands of Sir John Krebs, credited with helping Prof Anderson into the position which allowed him to mastermind the FMD killing [- of how many? - was it 11 million healthy animals?] last year. I wonder if the same gang of psuedo scientists have some more devastation in hand.
They want to come and test my cattle again..."
April 19 ~" I worry if this is a prelude to introducing AHB through emergency powers..."
Radio 4 World at One news - comments from Tony Edwards (Chief DEFRA Vet. Officer for Wales) about TB in cattle on farms in Powys..... He said it was serious because it was a new area of Wales affected, and it was "insidious" for farmers because unlike FMD, where you can spot the disease easily (sic) you can't spot TB easily. Also with FMD "you can get on top of the disease quickly", unlike TB where it takes a long time to test herds and to establish when clear of TB. " It will be remembered that at a meeting in Builth Wells (18th June), promises were made by the spokesman from the Welsh Assembly and also by Tony Edwards, the Divisional Veterinary Officer for Wales, that there was to be no mass cull in Powys. However, hundreds of healthy animals were killed at Libanus, near Brecon (on clinical diagnosis only) followed by the deaths of thousands of hefted sheep.
It is believed that 30 farms are involved in the TB scare and that 10 cattle have already been slaughtered.
A well-respected and frequent emailer to this site comments:
"Speechless! Also I am now so cynical that I worry if this is a prelude to introducing AHB through emergency powers..."
April 19 ~ "his last comment was chilling: 'It's as bad as last March in here.'
an unmissable article in Cumbria's Business Gazette
The writer first describes the embarrassment of the man on the Defra Helpline whom he phones to ask for advice about the new movement regulations.
- " a chap who had reached new levels of cynicism. "
"His job was to explain the new movement regulations to me. To help him do this, he had exactly the same leaflets that I had -
Not only that but he hadn't seen them before he arrived in the office at 9am that morning.
Indeed his last comment was chilling: "It's as bad as last March in here."
So in spite of several public inquiries, cunningly targeted at everything except the workings of the ministries, we have a situation where they have learned absolutely nothing and good people at the bottom of the heap have to learn it on the hoof because the centre cannot cope.
This is more than casually unfortunate. Defra is supposed to be one of the driving forces for British agriculture.
The level of performance one sees from the upper echelons is not such as would engender confidence.
This is sad because confidence is what we need at the moment......."
April 19 ~ "..should agriculture go belly up and incomes remain at the same derisory level then such things as ESA and Countryside Stewardship payments must fall further to match. At this point we will see those poor devils who signed up to these schemes trapped in them but not being paid any money.
"One example of why is the current enthusiasm for modulation of agricultural payments.
The idea is that the money is taken from direct support to commodities and put instead into environmental mes.
So in theory, instead of getting so much a ewe the farmer would get less per ewe, but could make up a little of the deficit by managing a proportion of his farm under an ESA agreement.
There are lots of disadvantages to this system but one that I have not seen mentioned is that the very nature of the funding is suspect.
Government expenditure on environment schemes has risen steadily from £1.8 million in 1987 to £192.7 million in 2000." (That is 1.8. million pounds in 1987 to 192.7 million pounds in 2000)
"Of this, only 7% or £15 million comes through schemes run by English Nature, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Countryside Council for Wales.
The rest comes out of Government or EU spending.
This 93% of government spending is of course obliged to fall within the guidelines laid down by both EU and WTO, especially with regard to the concept of "income forgone."
......the money that trickles into agri-environment schemes is on a strict income forgone basis, where the recipient is to be no better off than they would be if they had not done the environmental work.
Last year there was an attempt to cut the various payments on the argument that the income forgone has fallen.....
Unfortunately, should agriculture go belly up and incomes remain at the same derisory level then such things as ESA and Countryside Stewardship payments must fall further to match. ...." (more)
April 19 ~ "The only parliamentary inquiry team looking into last year's outbreak of foot and mouth came under fire for holding no public meetings in the county during their visit.
But MEP Neil Parish, representing Devon and Somerset, said witnesses were travelling from Cumbria to give evidence at the only public meeting at Gretna, held yesterday.
Cumbrian Euro MP Lord Inglewood said a visit to the county was not on the cards in the early stages of putting together an itinerary. "Why this was we do not know, but we managed to change their minds."
His fellow North West EuroMP Chris Davies said the inquiry team wanted to learn lessons from Cumbria which would shape future policy for the whole of Europe.
Inquiry team chairman Mrs Encarnacion Redondo-Jimenez said it was vital they knew what had really happened in Cumbria. "We are available to listen to what people have to say," she said.....(see report in today's Cumberland News We also hear that the farm at Gaitsgill, Dalston that the EU visited last night is farmed by Peter Holliday ( believed to be a relative of the man who runs Border TV) and a friend of Les Armstrong (NFU).
April 19 ~ "Gretna was such a total farce ....."
"Scene: a not very large cafe. Most of centre stage is occupied by EU officials and MEPs, with mere members of the public, farmers, would-be witnesses etc forced to squeeze in along the walls or stand at the back. Centremost of stage is Senora Redondo, the whatever is the Spanish for chair (silia) (sillyass, morelike). She holds forth in shrill Spanish (all of which has then to be translated in low drone) about how the only purpose of this meeting is to show the people of Britain how much the European Parliament cares for them and their interests. This is followed by officials of the Scottish Executive, local councils and the NFU all being given the chance at enormous length to explain how wonderfully efficiently the FMD problem had been handled, punctuated by self-important interventions from MEPs.
Only after 1 HOUR and 40 MINUTES are members of the public at last allowed to chip in.
Susan Greenhill, Nick Green and Roger Windsor all performed brilliantly, according to (... eye-witness) who was particularly delighted at Nick Green's brushing aside of various impatient attempts by Senora Siliass to stop him. But the MEPs just stared incomprehendingly while they spoke and the whole thing was a travesty...."
(email received late last night)
April 19 ~"Lord Whitty: We have answered to the Temporary Committee in the European Parliament. We also answer questions time and again in your Lordships' House. We could not be more open, nor could we have a system that will deliver anything closer to the truth"
"....Various issues were raised in the debate, the most acute of which was the legality of the cull. I shall cite just two cases: MAFF v Winslade, which we won in the English courts; and Westerhall Farms v Scottish Ministers, which we won in the Scottish courts. The British courts' and the EU endorsement therefore fully support the comments that I made in Strasbourg and have repeated today. The legality of the cull is not in doubt......My Lords, the contiguous cull was legal. However, it was inhibited and ineffective because we were unable to enter certain premises due to resistance based on the current legal position. ....."
So spoke Lord Whitty in yesterday's debate. Words fail us (except that we are painfully reminded both of the QC's letter following the Grunty case and an account by Leila Winsladeabout what the killing meant to her elderly parents)
- but we suspect that this assertion of Lord Whitty's will not leave everyone speechless....email us at info@warmwell.com
April 18 ~"I listened to the remarks of the noble Lord, Lord Haskins, with..if I may say so..incredulity.
The noble Lord said that farmers ought not to "overstate the case". I do not know how you can overstate the case for going bankrupt.
On another occasion he said that farmers ought to "stop grumbling" and be "more competitive". Today he said that they ought to "invest", "raise standards" and "improve efficiency". That is all fine, but how can you invest when you do have not the money to do so? Even if you do find the money to invest, having done so, what is to be done about an inadequate return?.....Some five years ago, the price of milk was around 25p per litre. It then fell to 13=p per litre. The price rose again but, as my noble friend Lord Plumb pointed out, it is now falling again to somewhere around 13=p per litre. Those are crippling factors. With the greatest respect, it is no use for the noble Lord, Lord Haskins, to say that people ought to compete. You cannot compete like that; you will go bust. "
"Some £42 million worth of European funds were made available in April 2001 to take account of alterations in the rates of exchange. The Government never took them. Then £57 million worth were made available in October 2001. Again, the