Great piece and thank you for writing on this Jonathon.
This incredibly short-sighted tax by the Starmer administration that threatens the very fabric of our countryside, as small farms holding together the aesthetic imagery we know and love, and generally farm in ways which re far more ecologically friendly than big industrial farms.
What's more, this tax threatens to extinguish the age-old and time-matured wisdom of the land that has been passed down from generation to generation. Once lost, this wisdom cannot be recovered as it is inherently place (and family) based. One that places changes into new (and likely industrial) hands, the wisdom is gone. Starmer and Reeves thus are brazenly going down a path which will see many of the best land stewards removed from the countryside and their lands. The implications for this are seismic.
One fears, though, that there is some degree of ideology behind this (one former Labour special advisor saying we don't need small farmers and that we should do to farmers what the conservatives did to the miners). One fears that Labour considers farmers and the countryside as a socially conservative domain (after the legacy of Scruton) and thus see small farms as a potential battle ground to settle old scores. Plus, one cannot discount that Labour considers small farmers as inefficient - and would rather see industrial farmers take over their lands to make the practice more efficient, never midnight he ecological, social and cultural collateral damage.
Future generations will hold this govemernment to account for their desecration.
Well said, thank you for standing with farmers. They are the backbone of the country.
Great piece and thank you for writing on this Jonathon.
This incredibly short-sighted tax by the Starmer administration that threatens the very fabric of our countryside, as small farms holding together the aesthetic imagery we know and love, and generally farm in ways which re far more ecologically friendly than big industrial farms.
What's more, this tax threatens to extinguish the age-old and time-matured wisdom of the land that has been passed down from generation to generation. Once lost, this wisdom cannot be recovered as it is inherently place (and family) based. One that places changes into new (and likely industrial) hands, the wisdom is gone. Starmer and Reeves thus are brazenly going down a path which will see many of the best land stewards removed from the countryside and their lands. The implications for this are seismic.
One fears, though, that there is some degree of ideology behind this (one former Labour special advisor saying we don't need small farmers and that we should do to farmers what the conservatives did to the miners). One fears that Labour considers farmers and the countryside as a socially conservative domain (after the legacy of Scruton) and thus see small farms as a potential battle ground to settle old scores. Plus, one cannot discount that Labour considers small farmers as inefficient - and would rather see industrial farmers take over their lands to make the practice more efficient, never midnight he ecological, social and cultural collateral damage.
Future generations will hold this govemernment to account for their desecration.
Thank you, Hadden. I agree with you entirely. A great analysis.
Thanks for sharing! Reading that Russia piece was devastating. I see what has happened now. So devastating 😭