The War on the Countryside

The Shire must be brought to heel

A few years ago, I watched a Brexit debate being held for an audience of farmers in central London. Most of them were quite opposed to the idea of leaving, and for quite rational reasons. Within the European Union, they reasoned, the powerful French farming lobby was able to defend their common interests, because European politicians were reluctant to annoy that famously belligerent bunch in case they made a fuss and dropped some slurry on them.

But British farmers are nothing like as assertive or powerful as their Gallic counterparts, and so outside of the EU they would be a small minority among a largely urban electorate - who had little understanding of their way of life and were often hostile. They might be safe so long as the Tories were in power, they said, but when Labour was next elected they would destroy them.