Why is the Diana interview a bigger news story than the farmers being shafted over Brexit?

[JackieWeaverHandforthCouncil]

Just that really? Yes it’s an interesting story but the fact the deal means Australian farmers can sell their produce cheaper in the U.K. which will decimate British farming is a much bigger one.

Truss has to be the worlds worst negotiator. The Australians must be pissing themselves laughing. They have farms bigger than the U.K. and can flood the market.

I listen to a lot of radio most days. I think a fraction of what makes the news is actually newsworthy.

We don't just razz around on tractors for shits and giggles you know.

It is fun though

Another farmer who voted to remain. 7 out of my 8 family members also voted to remain. Also farmers.

Quite scary how some people on this thread see farming as the enemy to the environment. I completely acknowledge there are issues but vegan food still has to be "farmed" you know!

I can imagine the farmers are feeling a bit screwed over by the thought of tariff free imports.

From a personal point of view I'd love to see some Aussie beef up for grabs though at competitive prices. The benefits of cattle who can roam freely on stations the size of small European countries, grazing and drinking out of bores, barely seeing a human from the moment they are born till their time comes and they are herded by helicopter are evident in the quality of meat produced.

Now craving a porterhouse steak 🥩

The BBC is controlled by Tory supporters. They seem to have missed out on Johnson’s lies which have been incredibly damaging, more recent and more frequent.

What makes me laugh about Diana is the fact that she didn't speak to her brother for years before she died , yet he is now all over the news about this interview she decided to do back then. Im not at all interested personally and I just wish they would let her Rest In Peace.

As for farmers, a few will just sell their land and retire rich and many will not. The NFU should have pushed them more to vote remain but that boat sailed years ago.
Meat is being pushed as the' bad boy ' anyway given all the plant based products I've seen for sale becoming more and more prominent and my twenty something sons being sent propaganda through social media about becoming a vegetarian or limiting their meat consumption etc.

@nolitetebastardescarborundo

Yes, many many farmers voted for Brexit. From the farmers I know and speak to regularly (which in 100+), many also didn't (tending to be younger demographic). Unfortunately some of this was down to misinformation about protocols and auditing which some believed came from the eu, but is actually a British only enterprise. Please support British farming, its incredibly important for our food standards and the economy. Lots of farmers are tenants and have no land to sell to builders, that lies with their landlords. They work harder than any other industry, never get time off, and tenant farmers quite frankly earn a pittance a lot of the time. Please don't generalise a whole slab of the population as one thing. It's depressing. This is coming from a very left leaning remainer who just happens to work in agriculture.

Sorry but it’s bollocks to say farmers work harder than any other industry. Your saying this makes me wary of everything else you’ve said.

It's a dead cat, in journalism terms. You want to distract people from the real issue, fling a (proverbial) dead cat on the table. The royal family is the dead cat in this case.

If you watch out, any time there is seriously bad news, this government uses this distraction technique. I've got to the stage that whenever they do it, I think 'what are they distracting us from now?'

Well I've just been out to check my ewes, lambs and tups. I love them and I won't be giving up this wonderful life thanks.
As for Australian sheep farming, I'm actually horrified by their mulesing practice.

The trade deal story was top on Reporting Scotland (BBC Scotland)

@toconclude

Because people are idiots about Diana.

I think it’s more than that. The BBC are the national broadcaster who are supposed to be impartial and honest. What Martin Bashir did was truly shocking and I hope everyone who was affected sues the BBC. Lots of crimes were committed a long time ago - doesn’t mean if new evidence comes up they shouldn’t be investigated.

Brexit does not have to mean a trade deal with Oz and a trade deal with Oz does not have to mean that certain terms are agreed re meat.

You are conflating issues that do not have to be linked.

It is possible to have Brexit and no/a different trade deal with Oz - the 2 do not have to go hand in hand - that is a choice.

It is a bit like people conflated X covid cases HAS to mean Y restrictions. No - the restrictions are a choice

So stop trying to link everything you don't like to Brexit. It is a deceitful and dishonest practice and undermines any arguments you may have

I'm interested in the impacts of brexit.

This story is not about 'the royals' though.

It's about our publically funded national broadcaster. Who are supposed to be neutral ethical etc.

Having a journalist who fabricated documents to persuade a woman who was tbf pretty vulnerable that people around her were being paid to spy on her. To get close to her as 'on her side' and get an interview.

And then (we'll see what comes out in full) carrying out a cover up.

That is a pretty massive story. And of huge public interest (we pay for it and many trust them).

Or rather, on the farmers.

I do have sympathy and of course not all of them voted brexit but as with the fishing industry it was a bit turkeys voting for Xmas.

I am very worried about
Loads of food miles (costly and shit for environment. They're on the other side of the world fgs.
Food standards (esp USA don't know so much about aus).
Becoming reliant on a small group of nations for a lot of food. Not a good place to be. Rather than us plus whole of Europe loads of countries EU tariffs close by etc

The BBC are only apologising because they got caught.
They’re as bad as the News of the World.

Yes sorry a worry about what will happen with the land.

Hedgerows wildlife just generally.

I assume farming got money from the EU?

Unfortunately if the government goes for a no tariff agreement with Australia it will be hugely awful for British consumers and our farmers.

1. Some Australian farmers still use antibiotics to encourage growth.
2. They don't have the same welfare standards
3. They are not being asked to go for the same low carbon emissions which our farmers are. .
4. If they are let in so will the US.
5. Why if we are going for low carbon are we transporting meat for thousands of miles when we can produce it here?

@savvy7

According to the Guardian, 83% of farmland is used for livestock. As I am vegan, I'd prefer the land to be rewilded anyway.

What so everyone can forage for their own wild lentils? You're going to see a lot of starvation until the population thins to what's sustainable from wild supplies; and a lot of fights over food.

@NiceGerbil

Or rather, on the farmers.

I do have sympathy and of course not all of them voted brexit but as with the fishing industry it was a bit turkeys voting for Xmas.

I am very worried about
Loads of food miles (costly and shit for environment. They're on the other side of the world fgs.
Food standards (esp USA don't know so much about aus).
Becoming reliant on a small group of nations for a lot of food. Not a good place to be. Rather than us plus whole of Europe loads of countries EU tariffs close by etc

You seem to be talking as if trade with the EU has been banned.

It's not so easy to avoid meat from other countries where animal welfare is bad and antibiotic use is high. As members of the EU we imported most of our meat from countries where the way they raised their animals would be illegal in this country. But to be fair to the EU, they're making a concerted effort to improve, ending the routine use of antibiotics in all member States from next Jan.
There is a question over labelling, the US negotiators for instance have been very keen that their meat products aren't labelled with country of origin. And if you've ever eaten meat in a hospital, school, work canteen, ready meal, pizza, restaurant- good luck finding out the country of origin and welfare standards.
I feel for UK farmers at the moment. The large landowning farmers have had it so easy for decades and that's changing (which is good) but tenant farmers who aren't asset rich are going to be up against it over the next few decades. Feels like the gov are going hard for rewilding, separating environment goals and food production and plan to feed us on cheaply produced food from abroad with bugger all care how it was grown or raised.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/868945/structure-jun19-eng-28feb20.pdf
Some actual statistics not from the Guardian

@IsoscelesSandwich yes I agree with a lot of that. It feels like they have realised that they can't both keep food costs low (and they are low in the UK) and make UK farmers toe both the high welfare standards and good for the environment line.

So they are going to make UK farmers toe the environment line and high welfare line, contract out 'food' to other parts of the world where welfare standards are lower meaning food production costs are lower. The average punter doesn't care about country of origin or welfare standards as long as the price is right, and those who do care will continue to pay a premium for UK produce.

Result: The northern British countryside mostly becomes an overgrown scrubby mess. Lots of trees scrub and predators but a loss of ground nesting birds and British uplands farming heritage.

Small commercial family farms become a thing of the past and the hobbyists take over the 'high welfare' sector.

Meanwhile commercial beef units become the norm rather than the exception (much like commercial pig and chicken units already are) and sheep are kept for conservation purposes only and not bred on a commercial sale.

British Lamb, one of the most environmentally sustainable, free range meats going, gets entirely replaced by produce flown from the other side of the worlds here it is mass produced.

The arable areas of England will be slightly less productive, with more wildflowers and hedges round the edges and just as much bunny, deer and pigeon killing as there is now.

Northern Ireland. I don't understand how UK can do deal with Aus that lets their produce in freely AND still keep Norn border freeflowing with RoI. Can anyone explain how this is possible?

Dynamo if there's no issues trading with Europe, then why are there all these problems, and why are we looking to countries across the world?

I'm sure I read the fishing industry was in trouble because of brexit... Must have imagined it.

Then in loads of things why is data on trans status gathered?

It's unnecessary surely?

Personally I think that collecting data on the trans population is important to understand the particular issues faced and work to improve their lives.

I'm a bit sad that you don't feel that way.

Ha! Wrong thread. Sorry sorry sorry!