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This
is a serious question: I need to know what Jeremy Corbyn proposes for
the countryside should he become leader of the Labour Party. I suspect
that his knowledge of life outside Camden and Islington may be
negligible.We have to remember the countryside campaign of the
Labour Party when Blair’s version were triumphant: and we must try to
forget about those toe-curling events like the Cool Britannia parties at
No. 10: and for younger readers, this is not a joke or a prod.What is much more sad and deflating is that the Labour Chief Whip was
one Denis Carter, aka Lord Carter, perhaps one of the most decent men of
all time in politics. All Wiltshire people who are aware will remember
DC as an agricultural consultant who founded AKC Consultants in Devizes:
his knowledge of rural life was second to none.The most painful
episode I have ever witnessed in political life was of Dennis leading a
meeting at the Pembroke Arms in Wilton on the subject of “What Labour
will do for the countryside.” Poor Dennis: he was embarrassed from the
outset and the evening did nothing to alleviate his discomfort. Even at
that early stage, it was pretty evident that Blair considered the
countryside as a dreadful inconvenience that should be done away with
or, at best, fenced off and ignored.Dennis’ talk went like this:
“We will build 67,000,000 houses and that’s the way to employ country
people. All the locals will build houses and get paid. They will then
live in these houses and be very happy, and should there be, er, no
work, we will build …. more houses.”Dennis Carter was a
supremely good man and had a comprehensive knowledge of farming and
country matters. He did not “play” a Fender guitar. All Labour
supporters will remember him, even though he was not a millionaire.Corbyn’s policy? “We will build 67,000,000 houses and….” (Contd p.94).
Sigh.
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Mike Noakes ‘Why ever do you need the countryside when you have Tuscany?’ – Blair, Toynbee and all the rest.“}” data-reactid=”.hg.1:5:1:$comment1081055515255722_1081251911902749:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.3.$likeToggle:0″ href=”https://www.facebook.com/tom.thatcher.16/posts/1081055515255722?comment_id=1081273035233970&reply_comment_id=1081277775233496&offset=0&total_comments=11¬if_t=feed_comment_reply#” role=”button” title=”Like this comment”>Like · Reply · 1 · 4 hrs
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Simon Probyn I think he grew up in Tangley near andover!“}” data-reactid=”.hg.1:5:1:$comment1081055515255722_1081253238569283:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.3.$likeToggle:0″ href=”https://www.facebook.com/tom.thatcher.16/posts/1081055515255722?comment_id=1081273035233970&reply_comment_id=1081277775233496&offset=0&total_comments=11¬if_t=feed_comment_reply#” role=”button” title=”Like this comment”>Like · Reply · 1 · 4 hrs
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Rog Rog Rog Tom
one thing I have been dwelling on for several years now is that
Westminster politics and indeed what I see of World politics is
predicated on Urbanisation and Urban populations. Capitalism is an Urban
phenomenon if you think about it and migration …See MoreThe 2015 General Election was a disaster for people…opendemocracy.net“}” data-reactid=”.hg.1:5:1:$comment1081055515255722_1081259625235311:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.3.$likeToggle:0″ href=”https://www.facebook.com/tom.thatcher.16/posts/1081055515255722?comment_id=1081273035233970&reply_comment_id=1081277775233496&offset=0&total_comments=11¬if_t=feed_comment_reply#” role=”button” title=”Like this comment”>Like · Reply · Remove Preview · 1 · 3 hrs -
Mike Noakes Localism
is fine but aggregation does yield the odd benefit. Like roads between
places, power for more than a couple of hamlets and labour and resource
mobility.“}” data-reactid=”.hg.1:5:1:$comment1081055515255722_1081264515234822:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.3.$likeToggle:0″ href=”https://www.facebook.com/tom.thatcher.16/posts/1081055515255722?comment_id=1081273035233970&reply_comment_id=1081277775233496&offset=0&total_comments=11¬if_t=feed_comment_reply#” role=”button” title=”Like this comment”>Like · Reply · 1 · 3 hrs -
Tom Thatcher Blair
on the crisis in dairy farming: ” I could import all the milk we need
tomorrow.” Sums up the above discussions. Farmers were not a part of the
UK constituency. My daughter met a very nice lass in Holborn last week
who said, “What’s the country l…See More“}” data-reactid=”.hg.1:5:1:$comment1081055515255722_1081272851900655:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.3.$likeToggle:0″ href=”https://www.facebook.com/tom.thatcher.16/posts/1081055515255722?comment_id=1081273035233970&reply_comment_id=1081277775233496&offset=0&total_comments=11¬if_t=feed_comment_reply#” role=”button” title=”Like this comment”>Like · Reply · 2 hrs -
Simon Probyn Maybe his parents moved to Tangley where I met him!“}” data-reactid=”.hg.1:5:1:$comment1081055515255722_1081273035233970:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.3.$likeToggle:0″ href=”https://www.facebook.com/tom.thatcher.16/posts/1081055515255722?comment_id=1081273035233970&reply_comment_id=1081277775233496&offset=0&total_comments=11¬if_t=feed_comment_reply#” role=”button” title=”Like this comment”>Like · Reply · 2 hrs
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Tom Thatcher I remember the Colvins of Tangley: they were AMC customers when I was working there. Michael Colvin was a MP!“}” data-reactid=”.hg.1:5:1:$replies1081055515255722_1081273035233970:0.1:2:$comment1081055515255722_1081273575233916:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.3.$likeToggle:0″ href=”https://www.facebook.com/tom.thatcher.16/posts/1081055515255722?comment_id=1081273035233970&reply_comment_id=1081277775233496&offset=0&total_comments=11¬if_t=feed_comment_reply#” role=”button” title=”Like this comment”>Like · 2 hrs
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Mike Noakes I
remember visiting Michael and the Hon. Nicola Colvin né Cayzer, of the
shipping line, with the much missed David Hudson. Nicola was horrified
that Michael had brought us into the kitchen, when obviously we should
have been seen in the drawing room, as the kitchen was only fit for the
NFU Mutual man, also due at the same time.“}” data-reactid=”.hg.1:5:1:$replies1081055515255722_1081273035233970:0.1:2:$comment1081055515255722_1081275115233762:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.3.$likeToggle:0″ href=”https://www.facebook.com/tom.thatcher.16/posts/1081055515255722?comment_id=1081273035233970&reply_comment_id=1081277775233496&offset=0&total_comments=11¬if_t=feed_comment_reply#” role=”button” title=”Like this comment”>Like · 2 hrs -
Rog Rog Rog Blair
followed thatchers lead in the destruction of cabinet government with
regal first and then presidential dominance aping corporate models of
concentrated power imported into the executive branch of government.
Cabinet Government is very important …See Moreletthemconfectsweeterlies.blogspot.com|By Roger Lewis“}” data-reactid=”.hg.1:5:1:$replies1081055515255722_1081273035233970:0.1:2:$comment1081055515255722_1081276128566994:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.3.$likeToggle:0″ href=”https://www.facebook.com/tom.thatcher.16/posts/1081055515255722?comment_id=1081273035233970&reply_comment_id=1081277775233496&offset=0&total_comments=11¬if_t=feed_comment_reply#” role=”button” title=”Like this comment”>Like · Remove Preview · 2 hrs -
Mike Noakes Cutting to the chase, who does one devolve to in order to empower ‘the countryside’?“}” data-reactid=”.hg.1:5:1:$replies1081055515255722_1081273035233970:0.1:2:$comment1081055515255722_1081277775233496:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.3.$likeToggle:0″ href=”https://www.facebook.com/tom.thatcher.16/posts/1081055515255722?comment_id=1081273035233970&reply_comment_id=1081277775233496&offset=0&total_comments=11¬if_t=feed_comment_reply#” role=”button” title=”Like this comment”>Like · 1 hr
Democratic dialogues: how to communicate with the people of Nuneaton | openDemocracy
Democratic dialogues: how to communicate with the people of Nuneaton | openDemocracy
Rog Rog Rog Local Authorities in the first place down to the Parish Council level ultimately Mike. The existing arrangements are bereft of political and fiscal power these days , sadly the assumed prudence of centralised fiscal governenece and removal of discretio…See More
The 2015 General Election was a disaster for…
opendemocracy.net
“}” data-reactid=”.hg.1:5:1:$replies1081055515255722_1081273035233970:0.1:2:$comment1081055515255722_1081279131900027:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.3.$likeToggle:0″ href=”https://www.facebook.com/tom.thatcher.16/posts/1081055515255722?comment_id=1081273035233970&reply_comment_id=1081277775233496&offset=0&total_comments=11¬if_t=feed_comment_reply#” role=”button” title=”Like this comment”>Like · Remove Preview · 1 hr