The Island UK and the EU
 

The best news I have ever heard from the EU has just been released.

Alister Darling wants to cut all subsidies subsidies to Farmers in the UK. The European Agriculture Minister has said no.

The milk quotas are to go.
A farmer can grow what he wants and not what he is told to grow.
Fallow fields are to be reopened.
Farmers are still to be paid subsidies to do the above, to look after the land and the green areas.

Wealthy farmers and landowners with large holdings are making a lot of money but they are not the ones who roll their sleeves up and get the job done.

If farmers and producers are allowed to market their own produce and not rely on supermarkets to buy the produce at their own price.

We have been an island fortress so they say....the way things have been going with the demise of the farming community we would have to rely on producers outside the UK for food the can be and is produced in this country?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7409739.stm

Re: The Island UK and the EU
 

Are you in favour of these changes or against....and why?

Re: The Island UK and the EU
 

The changes have to be agreed by all 27 member countries. Can you see the French agreeing to this?

But the most outrageous part is the following...

I initially read it and didn't give it a second thought, because like everyone else, I've become so conditioned to accepting the dictates of the EU. But then I started thinking about how ridiculous the situation has become...a British Chancellor, elected by us, want to make changes in the UK and he can't because someone from another country says so. Sorry, but isn't this what we fought two world wars to prevent?

Is there much point in pretending that we live in an independent country anymore, because it certainly doesn't feel like it to me.

Re: The Island UK and the EU
 

I agree that subsidies should be cut to all farmers (does this mean I agree with Wynonie :eek:) (except in a very few cases such as rearing rare breeds and experimental farming e.g. re planting hedgerows etc.) However the unfortunate reality is that an awful lot of farmers will jack it in as they farm specifically for the subsidy rather than the market.
As for the UK v the EU some parts of the EU I agree with such as social policies and human rights. Others such as the fishing regulations and farming subsidies I don't.

Re: The Island UK and the EU
 

Surely, the point is, we supposedly live in an independent country. Therefore the elected government of the UK should be free to decide on social policies, human rights, fishing regulations, farming subsidies and anything else, whether you or I as individuals agree with them or not. The EU's sole purpose should be a trading organisation.

Re: The Island UK and the EU
 

Will you roll your sleeves up and farm the land?
They can't farm for subsidies....the government won't let them.
They are told what land they can farm...the dormant land is wasted.
Would you work for nothing?
If a farmer has four arable fields and can only use two how the hell can you expect him to make a living?
If you owned a garage or a productive workshop who had four buildings to employ your staff and make a living and the government told you to close two of the buildings, would you be happy........I doubt it?

Re: The Island UK and the EU
 

In a nutshell farmers should be allowed to use their land as they see fit and not have some bureaucrat telling him what to grow or rear. Market forces will decide if the farmer has made the right choice. Providing that we can curb the power of the big supermarkets.

The EU has decimated our fishing industry and our quotas for fishing in our waters are less than those for the Spanish and French fishing in our waters.

The daftest thing of all is if a trawler fishing for say cod catches other edible fish or even inedible fish, those fish have to be thrown back in the sea. They are not allowed to land them not even for animal feed.

It really is time that we dumped the EU, but I guess that it is too late for that now.

Finally I agree wholeheartedly with Wynonie Harris.

And now I’m going to bed. Night all!

Re: The Island UK and the EU
 

There are only two pieces of news that could ever come out of the EU which would please me:

1) They've decided to disband the whole thing and go back to being a trading organisation.

or

2) They've decided to kick the UK out.

Sadly, the first won't happen because the meglomaniacs in Brussels are determined to create a European Superstate and the second won't happen because the British taxpayer is regarded as a cash cow which must be milked remorselessly to help fund a corrupt and wasteful system.

Re: The Island UK and the EU
 

Agree with all that.

What struck me initially was good we've won a do but on reflection if they stopped subsidies to the UK that would mean they would have to do the same with the subsidies for France, Germany and Spain.
Those countries wont lie down and take it.

What goes against the grain is, in or out of the EU, this government appear to be breaking up the farming communities.

Subsidies for a lot of farmers are wages for looking after the land they have been stopped from using and cows they are not allowed to milk.

Farmers, like anyone else, will not and should not, be expected to work for nothing.

Re: The Island UK and the EU
 

I agree with you totally Wynonie, the only thing is Brussels have been aded and abetted for ten years by Tony Blair, and for what, to further his own ends:mad:

Re: The Island UK and the EU
 

...a prime example of which occurred when he meekly gave up a large part of the rebate this country used to receive because of the ridiculously large sum we are required to pay into EU coffers. He could at least have used the opportunity to get something in return like a reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. Instead, he allowed himself to be fobbed off by vague promises of reform in the future and cravenly sold us all down the river!

Re: The Island UK and the EU
 

That is what Darling is trying to do now.........not a chance in hell.
He is not calling for a reform....he is calling for the CAP to be scrapped.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markmardell/

Re: The Island UK and the EU
 

As you say, it'll be a resounding "non" to that one!