Fearing for the future and no inspiration from politicians, how can farmers stay positive? Andrew Livingston attempts optimism. It doesn’t entirely go to plan
I’ve promised that I’m not going to be negative this month. I’ve promised that I’m going to write something happy, uplifting and hopefully a little bit humorous.
So I’m absolutely not going to mention the results of a recent survey by the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) for The Times newspaper. I definitely won’t talk about the fact that 80 per cent of those surveyed said that they were worried that their businesses wouldn’t survive the next ten years.
Or that 90 per cent said that they have halted investment in their businesses since the introduction of the dreaded ‘family farm tax’. Nor will I mention that 60 per cent would now consider selling up and leaving the industry in the next five years.
The one positive that did come from the survey was that the CLA respondents made it clear they had no trust or faith left in the Labour government – actually, looking at the results, you would think that the CLA had forgotten to put Labour as an option: not a single one of the 500 respondents said they would vote Labour.
Surprisingly, in my opinion, only 38 per cent said that if there was a General Election they would vote Conservative. An almost equal 36 per cent would vote Reform, four per cent Lib Dems, one per cent another party, and the remaining 21 per cent were currently undecided.
What scares me the most is that I don’t know where I would vote on that poll – probably suggesting that I’m an undecided, too.
No, no, no and no …
I’ve always been rather opinionated*, but as I look at the options available I just think … Meh.
The whole thing is, frankly, uninspiring. There’s not a single party right now that makes me think “yes! Here is the answer to all our problems.”
Part of the problem is the rise of what I’d call ‘further-leaning’ right-wing politics (I think it’s a stretch to label Reform as ‘far right’). Nigel Farage is an interesting character – I wouldn’t mind having a pint with him, and he doesn’t give me the fear that past far-right leaders did.
This shift to the right is definitely gaining traction across Europe and the US, but here in the UK I think Reform and Farage are ultimately overhyped by the media. Yes, people bang on hotel doors and throw red paint, but I suspect it’ll all amount to not-a-lot (feel free to throw this back at me if I’m wrong).
I do hope some smarter-than-me journalism student is writing a dissertation on the correlation between parliamentary seats and mainstream media airtime. My straw poll suggests Reform is punching well above its weight.
It’s no secret I have always been a true blue. I’m not afraid to say that I even liked Boris Johnson. But now, the Tories look rudderless, and potentially more likely to lose even the position of the opposition than to win the next election.
Green? No. Labour? No. Tory? No. Reform? No.
Lib Dem … Could I? Ed Davey doesn’t scream future Prime Minister to me, but what else is there? My vote is too important not to use it.
I don’t have the answers.
And honestly, I feel slightly bored by it all.
It shouldn’t be that way: I promised to be positive, but I think I’m lacking the vision of any future with a possibility of positive days. I’m crying out to be inspired by someone – anyone! Politics should inspire us all. I’m crying out for someone to give me some hope – we could all use a little bit of that.
*regular readers may have noticed that
