Was it just me - maybe it was - but was Peter Kendall in a bit of a bad mood today?
Have a look at the Farmers Guardian debate and judge for yourself.
Peter seemed very keen to have a go at me and the RSPB whatever I said.
And how predictable to see NFU mouthpiece Guy Smith going back to criticising the FBI - there is precious little acceptance, by the NFU President or by Guy Smith, that there is a problem with farmland birds. The NFU's attitude to the environment may be summed up by Peter Kendall's phrase 'wrapping (farmers) in green tape'. Remember please, NFU, that's the taxpayers' money you get and so there do have to be some rules attached to it.
But very good to see lots of good comments - many I guess from farmers who are working closely with the RSPB in all sorts of ways.
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A love of the natural world demonstrates that a person is a cultured inhabitant of planet Earth.
It’s very difficult to achieve anything positive from such an exercise with each party (RSPB, NFU, CLA & FG) working to a pre-defined script and with the live audience bombarding all with observations or questions – and only 60 minutes to do it in!
Page 3 of the current FG headlines –
“NFU slams RSPB over ‘shameful’ accusation”
So how can the NFU be anything other than somewhat tetchy with the Mark and the RSPB?
The only point I would make is that Mark said “We (the RSPB) love farmers to bits!”
Well it is all too apparent that both Mark & the RSPB palpably do not!
Rather - the following statement:-
“After the sick diseased, distressed, infective, tuberculous badger population (which should be left alone to rot along with other similarly infected wildlife and domestic cattle) we love some farmers to bits!” is more (wholly?) accurate.
Do you see? That just isn’t good enough – I might work with you if it was beneficial to me – but I would not regard you as a friend.
And I spoke with Kendall’s secretary immediately before the transmission and to the FG immediately after! I know what I’m talking about!
True friendship (let alone love) doesn’t work the way the current RSPB regime believes it should!
With friends like the RSPB .....................?