Originally from: Farmtalking
                        
Hi Francis and Coleen!

You have both very clearly stated that you cannot and will not 'trust' and I understand the reasons why.

You have also clearly stated that you want 'some sign of regret, remorse, admission, apology' and again I understand why and I would dearly like to receive the same.

I too am appalled at the defiance and arrogance of our Prime Minister and much of his Government and would agree that the arrongance is breathtaking.

But in view of the fact that they have amended the Animal Health Act and instigated the NSP and as far as we know their plans to control FMD, in the event of another outbreak, remain much the same as they were, what do we propose to do about it?

Are we to remain bemoaning our state to eachother and living in fear of the future, or are we really trying to do something change the our situation?

Each one of us has to decide for ourselves.

I can only make suggestions that I think might be helpful.

Others like Mary Marshall and Chris Stockdale are trying to change things by getting involved with DEFRA.

I know many of us can't spare the time to do that but we can all write to our MP, talk to our local NFU Chairman, our Vet and those farming friends whose 'noses wrinkle and eyes are averted lest they give away what is truly felt'. Perhaps if they all told Govt what is 'truly felt' it would start to take effect.

I just try to encourage others and promoted Hearts of Britain in order to give farmers a voice for change. Some like Heart of Galloway have adopted the idea with some success while others have chosen not to.

As I've said, each of us must chose our own path but I don't intend to abandon mine!

Author wrote:
Dear Coleen, I could not have put it better myself. First step, Jane, is some sign of regret, remorse, admission, apology ??None of these things are forthcoming. The image of Tony Blair,defiant, unapologetic yesterday to me epitomises this stance. He "would do it all again, wouldn't change a thing " ! Its exactly the same attitude, that they did nothing wrong and, therefore, have nothing to apologise for. The arrogance is quite simply, breathtaking. isn't it ? In the instance of the management, excuse me, mismanagement, of the FMD epidemic, it is hard to see that there are not victims and those guilty of inflicting all the unecessary pain , grief and anguish upon them. More often than not, you can see faults on both sides, we say, its half a dozen of one and six of the other. Not in this case. You might just as well say that the Jewish people were guilty of being Jews and that Hitler and the Nazis had no choice. I am for turning the other cheek, but first there has to be a reckoning as a platform to begin to establish a new relationship, and, as Coleen says, its not there.Margaret Beckett said there were lessons to be learnt, you would have to agree with that ? The one we learnt, the hard way, is that we cannot trust these people as far as we could throw them ! What have they learnt ? That they need new legal powers to do what they did illegaly last time ? I understand, and I do not know if it is true or not, but it would not surprise me at all, that the simulated FMD exercise in Scotland was conducted as per 2001, no new technology, no new ideas. Do any of us know if this is a fact or not , anyone out there to give us a glimmer of hope that something, anything, constructive has been learnt ? Still we wait, Jane, and, no, sorry, we cannot bring ourselves to trust. That is truly why the vets, especially the ones paid for by the state are having such dificulty in operating. A certain lack of cooperation is endemic, nobody talks about it but, if you mention Defra or the vets, noses wrinkle and eyes are averted le

st they give away what is truly felt.