Gill to step down from NFU

3 messages

Originally from: Farmtalking

http://www.fwi.co.uk/article.asp?con=12529&sec=18&hier=2

06 October 2003
By Isabel Davies

BEN Gill has announced he will stand down as president
of the National Farmers Union in February 2004.

Sir Ben told a meeting of NFU Council in London he
will not seek re-election at the organisation's next
annual general meeting.

He has been an officeholder for 13 years and president
since 1998.

The industry still faced many challenges, but BSE and
foot-and-mouth were now increasingly becoming a
distant memory, he said on Monday, 6 October.

The weakening of the pound, a major reform of the
Common Agricultural Policy and industry restructuring
were also giving cause for optimism, he added.

"I have been enormously proud to have served as
president. It has been a testing and demanding time.
But I believe we are now reaching a watershed.

"There are still enormous challenges ahead. But I
believe it is now time for me to stand aside and allow
Council to select a new person to stamp his or her
mark on the future."

Sir Ben will withdraw from active participation in NFU
work but will continue with his presidency of the
Confederation of European Agriculture until it ends in
September 2004.

Originally from: Molly Maxwell

<Subject: [FMDnew] Gill to step down from NFU>

About bloody time – I heard him on the radio this morning talking his usual rubbish, boasting how he wouldn't allow vaccination during the fmd crisis and he would do the same thing again in the event of another outbreak.

I hope he has a lousy retirement!