Ideal conditions for political haymaking
IT seems that the world has been set on fire. As the lockdown wears on, rumblings of discontent from various sectors of business and industry, including agriculture, have increased significantly.
Concerns about the absence of an adequate safety net for many or a painful lack of guidance on potential re-opening are increasingly prevalent. Restrictions on social interaction and movement limitations have been grinding away at people’s patience and wellbeing. Sparks of discontentment caused by double standards at the highest tier of government and a heartbreakingly high death toll have threatened to ignite the situation in a hot and dry few weeks.
Mass gatherings and protests are happening in towns and cities across the country. Thankfully, the ugly scenes of riots in London were not replicated locally. Shamefully, social distancing fell by the wayside in an area that was the epicentre of Covid-19 a few short weeks ago. Regrettably, the nationwide effort and visible displays of gratitude have largely subsided. Make no mistake, the handling of the pandemic, the impending bite of Brexit (that will impact agriculture significantly) and the racial equality issue have provided ideal conditions for political haymaking. Issues that have long been simmering under the surface have spilled over in very public disagreements on almost all media platforms and all levels of government.
With a number of statues targeted for removal in one way or another, there are arguments for and against judging the commemoration of these people looking through a 21st Century lens. I increasingly feel that principles have become flexible and changeable when society considers what is fashionably acceptable or not. Is it time for society as a whole, from Buckingham Palace, Downing Street, and the Senedd to each and every one of us, to at least check our own hypocrisy?
Even our governments talk a great game of honouring environmental commitments, often with farming seen as a means to that end. Yet, despite endless talk of green goals and public goods, you could be forgiven for thinking that our political masters trying to prise open the floodgates for imported foodstuffs that would be illegal to produce here. They flog the notion of ‘cheap shoes and cheap food’ from places where production standards are remarkably lower than what the UK population expect and deserve. These would be imports that are dragged from parts of the world where health and welfare standards are lower and the environment is not shown the same respect as here in Wales and the UK.
Stay safe everyone.