Comment – A forward looking statement

I was fortunate to watch a tractor run through the parish this morning, raising funds for the North West Air Ambulance, in response to the tragic loss of a young person locally.

Now bear with me, but this got me thinking, with maybe 120 plus tractors roaring past, what will things be like in 12 months time?

Elsewhere in Europe there is a ‘peasants uprising’, all those tractors blocking roads through the Netherlands and France, the success of the Farmer-Citizen-Movement in the Dutch elections, and a general tilt right is having an impact. At the other side of the world, New Zealand has swung hard right and kicked Labour out.

Meanwhile the Daily Mail (other news sources are available) tells me that Mark Carney,  the former governor of the Bank of England has endorsed Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, and with the likelihood of a Labour government increasing daily, I thought it would be worth a ponder.

Lets set the scene say in September 2024, one day after the election and Sir Kier has bounced through the door of no 10. He is sitting with a cup of camomile tea opening the post, including a stack of ominous red letter addressed to one R.Sunak. ‘What the heck’ says Sir Kier, as he rips open his predecessor’s mail ‘ I can always pretend I didn’t read the address, I’m the PM after all.’ Going back several years, these are the United Kingdom’s bank statements.

Guess what? Not only is there no money, but we are seriously into overdraft, no fixed rate loans, interest is still heading north, and no-one has told the country. No wonder these envelopes were stuffed down the back of the sofa.

Given this possible scenario, what to do?

Will farmers lose their rate relief for agricultural buildings, will land lose its Inheritance Tax relief, will the subsidies keep being squeezed?

Going back to this mornings tractor run, this time next year, we might need all those tractors, not just to feed us, but to block the streets alongside our European colleagues.

Thank goodness its stopped raining.

Have a good week.

Andy