Where DO they find them?
Tim Leunig (above) is described as a 'Powerful Treasury Advisor'.
His latest 'advice' is that 'Agriculture and Fishing are not critically important to the UK's economy', and that the UK could be like Singapore and import all its requirements.
I don't know how much Leunig is being paid for such words of wisdom, but allow me to give some alternative advice for nothing.
He is wrong!
People in the UK are very food conscious. They like to know exactly where their food comes from, and they like it to be as unpolluted as possible. If organic foods cost exactly the same as chemically-encouraged foods, there would be no question which the public would choose.
Already there are fears across the UK that Chlorinated Chicken from the USA will soon be on our supermarket shelves; and they don't like it.
So we must ignore the advice of Loony Leunig, and insist that the UK remains a strong, government supported, farming and fishing nation.
At a time when the UK is becoming increasingly aware of organic growing methods, and more people are becoming either Veggie or Vegan, people want to know exactly where their food comes from, how it was grown, and be assured that our food standards are kept higher than those of most other countries. It is highly irresponsible of Leunig to suggest anything else.
If a senior civil servant suggested anything similar here in France, farmers would take to the streets instantly. Barricades would be erected, shotguns loaded, and the guillotine sharpened.
Rise up Britain; make your feelings known. Muck Spreaders at dawn!
Ah yes, another nutter, egg head.
ReplyDeletePriti'll deal with him!
DeleteHe is another one who has never got his hands dirty.
DeleteYe gods and little fishes.
ReplyDeleteIts just plain commonsense that any country would support its farming and fishing. England has a huge population to feed and theyre going to rely on imports?
We
As I said.... totally LOONY.
DeleteThe more I see of civil servants the more I wonder.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing they ever get employed, I expect they are all the same and perhaps don't notice their and their fellow workmates inadequacy.
It all comes from that old adage 'keep pedaling or you might fall off'. They need to be seen to be changing things, or they might go unnoticed.
DeleteHow a supposedly intelligent man can make such a statement is totally beyond me.
ReplyDeleteMe too. Maybe he just wanted to get himself in the papers.
DeleteRegardless of whether we liked to know the origin of our food or not you'd think even the dimmest of civil servants and advisers would have worked out that putting one's food supply at the end of a very long logistical train is not a smart move. The corona virus will soon make that quite clear. Even the CEO of Procter and Gamble has said they may have problems with the production of over 17,000 products, fortunately mainly cosmetics. They have 387 suppliers in China who provide over 7,000 products all of which currently have at least a 2 weeks hiatus.
ReplyDeleteNow imagine that was our food supply!
https://www.cips.org/en-GB/supply-management/news/2020/february/pg-warns-17600-products-possibly-hit-by-coronavirus/
It seems to be obvious to us, but not to Leunig. Maybe by today he has changed his tune!
DeleteIt is often the case that the supposedly intelligent are lacking in basic common sense.
ReplyDeleteViz Corbyn, Wedgie-Benn, Blair, and most others of that ilk.
DeleteTosser. Britain was better with EU food rules that would exclude chlorinated chicken. Who would choose to eat chlorinated chicken? The water being pumped into some of our meats is bad enough, or is that the same thing?
ReplyDeleteLuckily the UK has much higher food safety regulations than most. I hope Boris sticks to it. I believe he's already said no to Chlorinated Chooks.
DeleteI wondered what sort of life this man lead, that he had not been aware of the coutryside, agriculture, food standards and freshness, the dangers of relying on imports as seen in WWII and on... and on... .
ReplyDeleteHe looks like the sort of brainbox who has never left his room, pale from lack of exposure to the air. Clever, no doubt, but oh, so thick!
typo - leads
DeleteA rather typical townie/economist. He knows nothing.
DeleteDo away with agriculture & fishing? What a total nutter! I think the less imports we rely on the better. I still don't get why we import lamb and chickens, eggs etc...haven't we got enough of our own already? seems like total madness to me...but what do I know?
ReplyDeleteYou know more than Leunig; that's for sure! I despair.
DeleteHe should pay a visit over here and see what impact 4 weeks of storms have on the supermarket shelves. Luckily our little island does still produce good quality meat, dairy and vegetable goods but a lot of other foodstuffs are only available when the ferry can sail.
ReplyDeleteAnd Leunig wants to do this ON PURPOSE. He must be crazy; especially as the UK has some of the world's best agricultural land, and fishing areas.
DeleteAt least Tim's mother loves him. I wonder if she bought him that crumpled, ill-fitting blue sweatshirt. He will probably get a knighthood one day - for services to pure twaddle.
ReplyDeleteShe should have had some shoulder pads fitted too. He looks a wimp.
DeleteI bet when lads were being picked for football teams out on the field, he'd have been the final choice..."Oh nooooo! Not Leunig again! He's bloody useless!"
DeleteDid his parents/grandparents not suffer WW11 when every spare piece of land was turned into allotments? How idiotic of him to suggest our food source is put in the hands of other countries.
ReplyDeleteHe would have been better off suggesting that we all 'Dig for Victory' again; not the opposite.
DeleteIf the fish stall on our market were to disappear (it has every variety of fresh fish you can imagine)then regardless of my age and informity I would offer to man the barricades.
ReplyDeleteSorry I obviously meant 'infirmity'!!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure where he imagined our fish would come from; the huge Spanish trawlers who rape the North Sea perhaps? They could even land their catch at Kings Lynn, to be extremely handy.
DeleteHis statement seems barmey. I agree. However you said that our farmers should be subsidised. I prefer cheap food obviously. However in New Zealand the farm subsidies were removed long ago. Collapse was forecast but, in fact, farming is doing well. I have not been able to find the percentage of its total consumption which is imported but when I lived there it appeared that the majority of fresh food was seasonal and local. There were exceptions for things that were not produced in New Zealand (oranges spring immediately to mind). However life might have been different in Auckland or Wellington or Christchurch.
ReplyDeleteI said 'Government supported'; not quite the same thing. A government who defends their native agriculture can do so in many ways; not only by subsidies. As far as the NZ is concerned, I can still buy an NZ leg of Lamb for about $20, whereas a local one would cost me €30. CRAZY.
DeleteIt would cost more than $20 for a leg of lamb here. Graham we always eat local (N.Z.) oranges.
DeleteOn a more general point you made, namely, that "people in the UK are very food conscious".
ReplyDeleteAlas, they aren't. Sure, the likes of you and me are. On account of, I don't know, being educated, nutritionally aware, having the money to even dwell on the subject.
But do not kid yourself that the majority is interested which conveyor belt, never mind the farm or which county, the cheapest chicken (by way of example) comes from. And, sad as it is, for many it is lack of money to indulge in an organic chicken, or a Christmas goose roaming at leisure in green pasture, then lovingly hung for seven days before despatched to those who can afford to be discerning. Aforesaid goose a mere pop at £75.00 - and that's the smallest at 4.5 kg which roughly feeds 2.5 or eight small children.
U
I should think there are more food programmes on UK TV per square mile than anywhere else on earth. Someone must be watching them. As for the quality of food, I did say that if the chemical and the natural were the same price, they would always go for the natural. Luckily over here Bio reigns. As for the Goose, my oldest always has one, and after one meal for four there's nothing left; other than soup!
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