Our Government ministers could do with some backbone for Christmas

​Most local politicians deserve to be on the nice list for Santa this year, for what they have done to support the farming industry in a key battle with London. Across parties they backed farmers over the unfair and mean-spirited decision on inheritance tax and agricultural property relief. The power to act over that lies solely in London, but political support here was a massive confidence boost in the fight for the UFU. It also helped seal public support. Credit also has to go to local politicians who are not natural bedfellows over many wider issues for joining forces to support a call in the Assembly for recognition of the importance of the sheep sector here to the rural economy. This ensures a successful Santa visit for our local politicians. But for the government in London Santa will be dispensing nothing but lumps of coal – even if that flies in the face of Labour's green anti-fossil fuel policies. From the prime minister down, if Santa has any farming background – and coming from Lapland with its reindeers he must have sympathy for farmers – the entire government will be on the naughty list, and rightfully so. If physical presents are out for government ministers because of the storm around free suits and concert tickets, it would be appropriate to buy some politicians a theoretical gift. This might come in the shape of a backbone to be a driver rather than a passenger. One needing that is the prime minister, Keir Starmer, who needs to stand up to his Chancellor and admit her budget was a disaster on every front. For farmers it was mean-spirited and illogical, dragging into inheritance tax businesses that are asset rich and cash poor, and so not in a position to pay the tax without taking on debt. If the aim was to get at those using agricultural property relief as a tax avoidance measure she failed miserably to achieve that goal – as political insiders acting before the budget allegedly demonstrated. At the same time the budget has been disastrous for every UK economic measure. Growth has stalled, as has employment growth; inflation has risen, interest rate cuts are on hold and jobs are being out-sourced overseas, with every employer looking to see if AI could replace staff.

That backbone concept needs to extend to all in government, not least the DEFRA minister, Steve Reed, who cannot see the true potential of agriculture. To mix metaphors he and others need an ability to wake up and smell the coffee when it comes to the craven pursuit of traditional green measures. Politically the green lobby is now something of a spent force. In the elections to the European parliament they lost their power base, ending up behind the far right extremists in terms of representation. In the recent Irish election the Greens went from being part of the coalition government to having just one member in the Dublin parliament. Radical politicians would get this and come up with fresh thinking to truly green the countryside, in parallel with a new drive to deliver on the potential of UK agriculture as a food producer and exporter. The government has made little progress on its plans to reset relations with the EU. That demands backbone to see down those seeking to portray any accord with Brussels as a betrayal of Brexit. In farming we can only look with some envy now at how things are going for the industry in Europe. The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has described the new farm commissioner, Christophe Hansen, as a 'trusted advocate' for farmers. How we would love to hear those words used to describe the brief of any farm minister here, national or devolved, for their approach to the industry. Subtly the European Commission agenda has changed from being solely about green diktats to farmers and rural communities being recognised as vital for a thriving countryside that delivers green outcomes for Europe's 450 million citizens. The EU has also, wisely, separated animal welfare from agriculture to health. Here Brexit seems to have stalled with us following old EU green policies while failing to develop a new and radical approach to the countryside. The Christmas card message from farmers to politicians needs to be 'we are up for this challenge and have the backbone for it – now let us deliver in 2025 and beyond.