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17 December, 2001
Stalinist

"He may smile and smile again, and be yet a villain" (Hamlet, Act 1 Sc.5)

The increasingly dangerous, centralising, Stalinist Blair government is set to order all farmers to connect themselves electronically, by computer, to the Ministry so that they may obey government plans (orders). In addition to this they will be required to draw up a business plan encompassing the total assets of the farm - the soil, water, trees, stock, pastures, crops and wildlife - with details of how they propose to make best use of them in sustainable farming terms. The Ministry, DEFRA, would then have a detailed insight into every farmer's business throughout the whole country. Of course, Beckett, the Secretary of State, says this will "help" farmers to adapt to and comply with requirements and obligations.

Small farmers and the NFU would be well advised to tell Margaret Beckett to shove this amazingly arrogant diktat where the sun don't shine. Human rights legislation may well be very helpful here.

Foot & Mouth enquiry
Despite his wriggling and attempted deception by holding his own, government enquiries in camera and in three separate parts, with no obligation for ministers to give evidence, it is just possible that Blair will be called to account - by the EU. Blair, through Labour MEPs, tried to block the EU enquiry but were overruled by the parliament's agriculture committee with the help of Tory MEPs. The EU Enquiry could demand the attendance, as witnesses, of any responsible Minister, and that includes President Blair who, it will be remembered, took personal charge. Farmers will be hoping that he is not able to squirm out of this and that truth will, after all, come out.

The Countryside/Freedom to Roam Act
Will pic-nicers be able to lunch on your lawn or walkers tramp over your allotment? Rubbish, you say but have you checked the Countryside Agency's web-site? It would pay you to do so, right now if you live in the areas already completed - the Lower North West and the South East of the country. The maps set out quite clearly which areas have been designated by civil servants as free access areas. They include allotments, paddocks, front gardens and, even private country parks open to the public for a fee. The Ramblers Association is rubbing its hands with glee. Check out your garden on the web site: countryside.gov.uk you could be surprised at this latest folly of Blair's government. Then slap in your objection - now!

15 December, 2001
F&M enquiry
The first of the three attempted government cover-up enquiries started work yesterday. Those keen on giving evidence should contact the Chairman, Dr Anderson at 9 Whitehall, London.

12 December, 2001
The dispensing loophole
There is still no information on the GPC web site about closure of the loophole having been finalised by government, so if you are a semi-rural practice and wish to apply to dispense - do it now - immediately. GPC, DDA Ltd and chemists are united in trying to prevent you - so do not waste a day. For help, contact the Editor of this site.

11 December, 2001
The Independent General Practitioners' Association
Any GP who is not yet a member of the IGPA should join right now. You know that Milburn will neither give a good pay award nor allow the NHS negotiators to come up with an acceptable contract. You may also recall that GPC has an appalling habit of accepting whatever crumbs are offered on the grounds of "they'll do worse to us if we don't accept". The IGPA, led by Jonathan Reggler, is a first rate organisation which will offer a sensible alternative if that takes place. It deserves the support of forward thinking GPs. Join them today - I have. Web site: igpa.org.uk e-mail: igp@igpa.org.uk or fax a sheet of headed notepaper marked IGPA, with your e-mail address to 01628 891206.

22 November, 2001
Foot & Mouth enquiry
The government spinners are busy kicking this under the carpet as fast as they can but they must not be allowed to get away with this momentous failure of the President. The costs of the inadequate handling of the disaster run to billions of pounds to the tax payer, the livelihood of hundreds of farmers and the deaths of several. There is nothing which Blair and his cohorts would love more than for the issue to fade from public view. Considering the effects on the health of farming patients of country doctors, it behoves us to ensure by any means possible that the issue remains in the public eye. Support your rural community.

16 November, 2001
Country doctor crisis
General practice is relatively well paid and doctors have undergone very many years of exhaustive training to get to the stage of entering practice. In addition to that, the rural areas of Britain are the most attractive parts of the country. So even somebody as intellectually challenged as our Secretary of State should be capable of standing back and wondering what he and his illustrious predecessors (and presidential boss) have done wrong to create such a state that few doctors wish to go into practice at all, even country practice. Why, Milburn should be asking himself as he blunders around making the profession even less attractive to young and senior doctors, why has Hertfordshire 60 GP vacancies this year when it only had 3 last year? Why, he should ponder, has Oxfordshire 62 instead of 24 last year and Norfolk 53 instead of 21? Could it be that I, Milburn, am doing something wrong? Being a small man and vindictive with it, that thought will never enter his mind.

Mind you, similar questions should be occurring to the guardians of general practice, the GPC negotiators and committee, for it is they who are charged with caring for the interests of doctors. . It is they who have let Milburn cause the present shambles by welcoming each new regulatory body. Maybe the leadership should concentrate more on their day job rather than collecting unjustified CBEs from Milburn. Unjustified so far as GPs are concerned, that is.

1 November, 2001
Another freedom removed
The Blair government today announced that it will be introducing laws which will remove the farmers' right of appeal against culling orders in cases of BSE or F & M. Whilst the rest of the country knows that the recent F & M fiasco was prolonged due to the incompetence and inadequacy of Blair (Remember? He did say he was taking personal charge) Blair prefers to blame the farmers who had the nerve and impudence to legally appeal against orders to cull their apparently well sheep or cows. According to the eminent scientists at DEFRA (the same ones who couldn't tell the difference between sheep and cow brains for two years) the outbreak was prolonged because the farmers appealed and delayed the cull. Countrydoctor understands that farmers are quite rightly miffed at this gross insult which will permit jackbooted ministry slaughterers to enter their property at will.

Not incidentally, the fact that the government is attempting to steamroll this legislation does prove the fact that when Ministry apparatchiks forced their way onto farms to destroy lifestock against the wishes of the owners, they were breaking the law. Oddly, MAAF/DEFRA sought the help of the police to gain such entry. Are the police not aware of current law? And, of course, did the PM and Ministers give a damn about the law?

When, I wonder, will we see Blair half-raise his right arm, palm outwards in acknowledgement of a straight arm salute?

It should be borne in mind that Blair was re-elected with around 25% of the population's votes or, put it another way, 75% did not vote for him or his government.

24 October, 2001
Flooded
Countrydoctor sends its best wishes to the Bourne, Lincolnshire country surgeries which have recently been inundated during the recent floods. One practice was so badly affected that even the desk drawers were full of water. It will take many weeks to recover - and still the worst of the winter has yet to come. There were also floods in the Swavesey and Godmanchester area of Cambridgeshire which were the worst for 20 years or more.

20 October, 2001
Obfuscation and blundery
It came to light recently that having scared the living daylights out of farmers and population that BSE can be transferred to sheep - and thus to humans with the effect that every sheep in the UK would have to be killed - the government "experts" couldn't tell the difference between cow brain and sheep brain. For two years they had been peering down the microscope at cow brain believing it to be sheep !! Of course, the Department of Deceit in the Blair government released this information of their incompetence in the middle of the night buried under other news. Will they never learn?