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14 June 2003

Michael Meacher out of Westminster Cabinet

(Filed 14 June 2003)
www.land-care.org.uk

With the recent reshuffle of the Westminster Cabinet Michael Meacher has gone. He returns to the labour backbenches.

Land-Care regards this as good news in view of its previous article on 2nd April 2003 entitled:
“Michael Meacher talks Organic Garbage” (click here to view).

Supported by the Soil Association and Friends of the Earth, Meacher has been vocal on such matters as anti-GM crops and promoting organic farming although not apparently understanding the science of the former and the lack of it in the latter.

He was also influential in the negotiations leading to the Kyoto agreement, which is now raising so many problems in terms of endless new regulations, unrealistic targets and misguided expense. The Americans had more sense in that they committed themselves to improving the environment but were not going to go bust in the process.

Meacher was responsible for the debacle over the fridge disposal ban which officials brought to his attention too late to do anything about it.

Hopefully it might be possible to get a more logical debate over GM crops and the place of organic farming, including their limitations.

However, such hopes should not be too optimistic as it is thought that Elliot Morley will be taking over the environment brief at Westminster. He is not exactly the top of the pops as far as farming and fishing are concerned where environmental issues are to the fore.

In the election of the Scottish Parliament for its second term the return of Ross Finnie (Liberal Democrat) as Minister for the Environment and Rural Affairs in the Labour/LibDem coalition has been welcomed by many, but it should be recalled that he acclaimed the passing of the greatly flawed Land Reform (Scotland) Act as being a great achievement. We should also be wary of his pro-European leanings, and his excessive interest in that greatly over-rated word “sustainability” that emanates from these quarters.

As with the new minister for Scottish Enterprise, it would of course be too much to expect that he had had any hands on experience in the subject of his ministry. At least it can be said that matters could have been a lot worse had a new complete novice been appointed at this crucial time.

It is interesting to reflect that in the Scottish Parliament the Conservatives have more seats than do the Liberal Democrats. The conservative members have vastly more experience (but little say) in land management, including that of family farms.

www.land-care.org.uk