On behalf of everyone who cares about our Parliamentary democracy, I do worry about the threats to freedom of speech by those who incite hate whether in the streets outside Parliament or online.
Whether last week the Speaker was bullied by Sir Keir Starmer or was worried about threats to MPs by protestors outside Parliament, the outcome was equally wrong. It was extraordinary enough to prompt a letter from the Clerk of the House, Tom Goldsmith, to the Speaker pointing out that “long-established conventions are not being followed in this case”.
As it happens, I recall the September 2002 Countryside March when over 400,000 farmers and rural folk from across the UK came to central London for the Liberty and Livelihood march in one of the largest gatherings ever seen in Westminster. Yet no hatred was expressed, everyone made their point in a civil way and there was no litter dropped let alone public buildings defaced. That is how it should be and if demonstrators will not comply, the Police have more than enough powers and should use them.
Indeed, on the topic of farmers, I was delighted to hear the Prime Minister announce a strong package of measures to help those working in agriculture across the South Downs – conserving our environment and literally putting food on our dining tables.
In the first instance, the Government are backing farmers with the largest ever grant offer to fund technology and productivity schemes, worth a total of £427 million – with the Prime Minister keeping his word on a total budget of £2.4 billion each year for our farmers.
One concern raised with me by local farmers at our regular roundtable meetings is how they are treated by supermarkets and other large retailers who sell their produce. The Government’s new ‘supply chain fairness’ review will set out regulations in Parliament to guarantee reasonable contracts for dairy farmers, and similar rules will be soon on their way for pig and poultry farmers.
