Farmers' fury at allegations (From Stroud News and Journal)

Farmers' fury at allegations

STROUD MP David Drew suffered a backlash from famers in his constituency this week after he accused them of causing and deliberately spreading last year's foot and mouth outbreak.

"We thought he was one of us - he sat on the rural committee," said a furious Martin Wright, South Gloucestershire secretary of the National Farmers Union.

"He will have to work hard to get back in favour - these accusations have caused a huge heartache in the farming community."

Mr Drew, chairman of the Labour Group of Rural MPs had made damming allegations in a letter to leading landowner John Berkeley of Berkeley castle.

Mr Berkeley had written to Mr Drew asking the government to hold a full public enquiry into the disease.

He said he was shocked when he received a reply from Mr Drew which stated: "The problems of farming are deep seated and some are self-inflicted.

"Government may not have got everything right, but the industry has much to answer for."

Mr Drew alleged at the end of his letter that farmers made fraudulent use of EU production and environmental payment schemes.

Mr Berkeley said the allegations were a big let down for farmers.

He had written to Mr Drew as he was concerned no enquiry was being held into why the outbreak happened last year.

"The disease is just waiting to happen again," said Mr Berkeley. "We need to learn how it happened and where mistakes were made."

Mr Drew's reply sent shock-waves through the farming community.

Mr Wright said farmers could not be held responsible for the spreading of foot and mouth and refuted any idea that they tried to gain subsidies through corruption.

"There are so many rules and regulations which are so tight and onerous they can't be broken. Farmers are given fines for the most timid mistakes," he said.

"No farmer I know is responsible for corruption, if Mr Drew has evidence he needs to provide it.

Neil Carmichael, Conservative parliamentary spokesman for Stroud said Mr Drew should: "Put up or shut up."

"Where is his evidence," he said. "The fact he has the audacity to blame farmers is just crazy."

But Mr Drew told the SNJ yesterday that he stood by every one of the comments made in his letter.

He suspected mr Berkeley had leaked the private letter for party political gain.

"The views I have expressed are fairly blunt but I have said them before," he said. "I was talking to farmers all the time during the the foot and mouth problems.

"There is a feeling of hurt but I'm trying to express the need for wider reform." BF