In message , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes
Was listening to Any Questions on the car radio today - so didn't hear all
of it.

One interesting bit was a panel member getting very passionate about how
the EU was ruining UK farming and small businesses, and farmers knew far
more about farming than European bureaucrats. Who were stifling their
businesses with rules and regulations. Ie, the usual sort of thing.

And he was asked to give an example. Just what I always do when I here
such things.

And what was it? He'd seen a Spanish farmer spraying a crop of
cauliflowers with something - presumably an insecticide - and then lifting
them for sale two days later. When the regs say spraying must finish at
least a week before lifting.

Of course no one picked up on this. The implication being he wanted to see
any regulations about the use of insecticides removed. And left purely to
the farmer. To put him on equal footing with a Spanish farmer who was
breaking the law.

I was uncertain what point he was making. The whole episode seemed a bit
flimsy: as if he was reporting a commonly held belief.
Miscounting of Olive trees was an oft reported scam but never with any
reliable evidence.

The audience seemed to believe him.

Then, in any answers - heard a bit of it after getting home - one guy was
saying the EU had decimated his market in southern Europe due to the Euro.
Now just how us coming out of the EU would make a southern europe country
in the Euro suddenly be able to afford UK goods, he didn't explain.

It's very odd that every industry claims to be hog tied by European
legislation - yet when asked, seem to have problems supplying just one
concrete and important one.

Yes. Exactly my view. There is also a perception that our bureaucrats
are better at enforcing legislation than those elsewhere in Europe.
Greener grass syndrome...


--
Tim Lamb