Helped by her husband Edwin and son George, Jilly manages 600 acres on the River Exe floodplain, raising native breeds like South Devons and Red Polls. NFU President Minette Batters UK egg production has fallen to its lowest level in nine years. Climate change is a global issue, weve got to be able to do it collaboratively, with others coming with us. They, of course, looked at the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) impact assessment in 2018, so were very much wanting them to look at that again. Minette Caroline Mary Walters DL[1] (born 26 September 1949) is an English crime writer. Did you get a sense they had very different priorities for the future? Or did you wait to see what on earth the Government did, to fill in this void? Given he was one of the greatest proponents in the Brexit debate, of isnt it great, food is going to be cheaper. Weve got the climate here to be growing it. MB: I can remember being on the Today programme, in Broadcasting House, with Michael Gove being interviewed, when he published the Agricultural Bill. What we wanted for this country should be, and still should be and must be, about what we want from other countries too. You were looking at, I think it was David Dimbleby and at the arrows and thinking, No, that cant be right. What was not to like? UKICE: But this was a government that made very clear that it was willing to contemplate no deal, to get out by 31 October. Minette Batters - President, National Farmers Union of England and Wales. What were your early engagements with the new May administration like? We didnt want farmers to go out of business. It would help if we could speak to those who are leading these discussions. With Theresa May, it was about trying to say, Were here, dont forget agriculture, because its going to be the complex area. What we have to recognise is none of these things can be done in isolation. UKICE: You dont represent farmers in Northern Ireland, because theyre represented by the Ulster Farmers Union. Whitehall has driven so much of EU rules and regulations for agriculture and the environment, so when we bring it back home, weve got to be able to make sure that it works across those four countries. WebCall Us Today! +(91)-9821210096 | paula deen meatloaf with brown gravy. That, again, has been driven by Covid, because weve not been eating out in pubs or restaurants, everybody has bought everything out of retail. It is no good going to government, just saying, I want. Fundamentally, we need to be producing much more of our fruit and veg here. Minette Batters on her farm near Downton. These have been continuous weekly dialogue groups, with officials and ministers. MB: I think the biggest challenge, if Im honest, is the number of different departments, different people, dealing with different things. Actually, Lord Plumb joined the discussion and Sir David Naish joined that discussion, as well as other previous Presidents. Minette Batters could not have chosen a more difficult time to become the first female president of the National Farmers Union (NFU). What we must avoid is a two-tier food system. MB: From the very beginning, weve been part of what have been called the F4 Groups. California probably has higher standards than many parts of Europe. There were challenges across Europe and here with the weather that we have in the winter, so there was an application put in for emergency use authorisation on Cruiser neonicotinoid. They have two sons, Roland and Philip. It was around that time, and certainly when I came in, that I said, Weve got to start talking food, because food is what resonates with people, farming doesnt. She supplemented her salary by writing romantic novelettes, short stories, and serials in her spare time. I tried everything. Michael didnt know that we were going to say that, nobody in Defra knew that we were going to say it. So, I think, then, there were some very tough conversations. Minette Batters is the first woman to become President of the National Farmers' Union, representing 47,000 members. So, it was incredibly important for me to get to speak to Theresa May, and we were trying to just get agriculture to register on the Richter Scale. So, I think we engaged on every level. Of course, getting your voice heard in all of this was quite a challenge, I think, for the goods sector. Still the position remains today from our European partners that we must sign up to dynamic alignment of rules across the EU SPS area. But we had to get this right. And I think the likes of Daniel Kawczynski, too, supported it, on that very basis. Or did you think it was a clever solution to a seemingly intractable problem? Youve got Lord Frost leading on the future of the UK new relationship. It was about saying that this needed to be fair and equitable to all. Webshreveport obituaries minette batters family. I remember sitting opposite him at a Sector Food Council meeting and George Eustice remembers this, I might add, as clearly as I do, because he was in the room, and Liam Fox saying, Brexit is going to be great, because we can bring in cheap raw ingredients and add value to them under the Union Jack. That is a breaking of the manifesto commitment. I have to say, at that time, that was so needed, because we had to work through a process. So that, with as free and frictionless trade as could be achieved, was something that we all believed in then and we all believe in now. Did you target any of the backbenchers who were holding out? We asked the Wageningen team to carry out an economic impact assessment of what our departure would mean, and to show the effects on markets if new trade barriers were constructed between the EU and the UK. They have two sons: Roland, who is married to Charlotte, and Philip, who is married to How does it feel for the industry? Its also so complex, this area. But that F4 group is still trying to work through these thorny areas. But its a classic case of, youve got to pitch people. But that didnt stop us from getting stuck in. I had a call the other day, with COPA-COGECA, listening to the Commission and DG SANTE. He was there as Minister of State for Farming beforehand, under Michael, so we knew George UKICE: In March 2019, Daniel Kawczynski said hed vote for the Withdrawal Agreement, given the negative prospects of no deal exit to the farming industry. So, that was really compelling. Or did they think it was just a completely unacceptable attempt to cherry-pick the single market? Baroness McIntosh of Pickering with NFU Vice President UKICE: Were you at all worried that he seemed to be establishing a rather surprisingly good relationship with the green lobby, who I think probably had a similar, oh my God, moment when he was appointed. But doing it well means really working collaboratively with everybody in the food and farming sector. Its worth pointing out that, at that time, there was not even one side of policy on A4 of what leaving the EU would look like. If were going to have checks in the Irish Sea to avoid a border, where do you do the checks? Weve worked very closely with them throughout, so weve always known that it is a very, very difficult area. UKICE: Theresa May was absolutely clear that Brexit meant ending free movement, but farming and food processing had been very dependent on Eastern European migration for a long time. Minette has written another entry in the Quick Reads series entitled A Dreadful Murder for World Book Day 2013. She won well over 30 races in her own right which included racing at How worried were you that the Government was very keen on a deal with the US? MB: There was an element of, Goodness, what is this going to look like? He had said, on behalf of the NFU, that it was in farmings best interests to join the Common Market. Walters joined IPC Magazines as a sub-editor in The NFU launched a levelling-up report, because when we look at the whole levelling-up agenda, it cant just be about north versus south, weve got to look at opportunity across the whole country. Within four months, it had won the Crime Writers' Association John Creasey award for best first novel[3] and had been snapped up by 11 foreign publishers. Its been very much about get a degree, go to university, work in services. All rights reserved. Bring everybody into the room, have a massive discussion, and then he would leave the room and you were never quite sure as to who had been listened to. And of course, we still had the Wageningen work, which proved to be pivotal in having those discussions, and the principles. It was then, that we established our new EU Exit and International Trade Directorate. And how is the state going to be able to pay for them to effectively just plant trees? What we are seeing played out and its showing more with fish is that groupage is really difficult. While raising Walters and her two brothers, Colleen Jebb painted miniatures from photographs to supplement the family's income. buss type w 30 amp fuse replacement; Books. If we dont do that, we will see things rotting in the fields, simply because we havent got the capability to pick them. Wales is almost in a slightly more similar position to England. But what I did see very quickly with Michael was someone who was very prepared to dive down into every area of technical detail and grasp it. I mean, a big, big difference, and it continues to grow. To undermine our farmers, when you want them to have regulation that costs a lot of money, and undermine them with cheap products coming in that dont even meet the first rung of the ladder, was going to do one thing, and that was going to put our farmers out of business. We knew it would be a lose-lose to try and lobby, effectively, for a race to the bottom. 30 Apr 2023 11:52:44 MB: No, its a massively significant issue. You have to go there with what I used to describe to Michael a magpie moment, the glittery jewel that makes government think, Oh yes, that looks exciting. The Department for International Trade, of course, is focused on getting trade deals done. This arguably makes her the most powerful farmer in the UK; she Youve got to have agriculture as a key part of trade policy. So, in my opinion its been a phenomenal return on investment and it can be an even better return on investment, if we all work together. Straight away she ruled out being part of the Single Market, and we had those big speeches at Lancaster House, Mansion House, that were hard-line Brexit positions. So, I think we pretty soon realised that this was going to be difficult. Possibly. That extraordinary feeling. It launched some plans for new tariffs, which were quite interesting, and it also made clear that it was prioritising regulatory autonomy, sovereignty, over removing friction. She turned freelance in 1977 but continued to write for magazines to cover her bills. I cant speak for the Ulster Farmers Union. Checking everything against the principles was pretty key, because if you are leading an organisation, which I wasnt then, Meurig Raymond was, it is really critical to have that solid evidence based foundation from which to operate, and from which to build our policy and lobbying position from. That then was the reason for me saying at the Oxford Farming Conference in 2019, Actually, do you know what? Weve legislated to achieve net zero, but there is so much that can be achieved through new policy thinking as to what that looks like, and ultimately, our opportunity to influence European thinking. MB: We made continual calls, between Nick von Westenholz, myself and the other office-holders, with backbench MPs, talking about how dire a no deal would be. UKICE: We saw the very hostile reaction from EU political leaders to Chequers, but I wondered whether you got any sense from your sister bodies in France, Denmark, Netherlands, places that were concerned about UK lowering standards and the implications for that on agri-food farming, that they thought Chequers was quite a clever wheeze? UK in a Changing Europe (UKICE): As David Cameron committed to having the 2016 referendum, first in the Bloomberg speech, but then after the success in the 2015 election, what was on farmers minds? But I think, as the farming unions, we were all in the same place of wanting an approach that kept the UK internal market functioning fairly, and that there werent winners and losers. Chequers, if Im honest, allowed that to happen. Weve always maintained that, in the UK, we dont want to lower standards, but there has always been a concern as to what imports and the future of international trade will look like. Her second novel, The Sculptress, which was inspired in part by an encounter Walters had as a volunteer prison visitor, won the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award. We just focused on, What we need is free and frictionless trade, which I think, for some, got quite annoying. Minette Batters, who is the president of the National Farmers Union (NFU) of England and Wales and has been called the most powerful farmer in the UK, was Those principles would guide the discussion. Within four months, it had won the Crime Writers Association John Creasey award for best first novel and had been snapped up by 11 foreign publishers. RT @RainNewtonSmith: Great podcast with the brilliant @Minette_Batters of @NFUtweets passionate about the role of farmers in nature restoration, energy and food security. Well, that will be really, really damaging. UKICE: But they still prioritised doing deals with the US, though maybe receded slightly. When that government came in in December 2019, there was, I felt, quite a bit of rebuilding to do with backbench MPs because of Brexit. Weve obviously got a lot of trucks coming over and a lot of trucks going back empty. Movies. During a gap year between school and Durham University, 1968, Walters volunteered in Israel with The Bridge in Britain, working on a kibbutz and in a delinquent boys' home in Jerusalem. We had a government that really believed you should take every decision up to the wire, and that was the way of getting a short-run better deal. We must make sure that even the poorest in our society have access to high quality British food, which they currently do. Having worked through the technical detail and this is where I think Michael came into play this became quite an obvious solution. Minette Batters is the current president of the National Farmers Union (NFU) of England and Wales, a position she has held for three years. On gene editing, yes, on plant breeding, its a massive opportunity. WebBrowse 72 minette batters photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more photos and images. Well, we were just getting a flat no Get back in your box and be quiet, because weve got a majority government and we can do what we want. I think its still yet to be resolved as to what that looks like. Minette met her husband Alec Walters while she was at Durham and they married in 1978. But then he left. But do bear in mind that a precedent had already been set. If we set the legislation bar above domestically , for international trade, that is just going to add more cost and price ourselves out of the market. We have commissioned some independent research to look at the viability of the new schemes, of how much will be lost, effectively, from BPS, and how much can be made up through either the agri-environment schemes or through the sustainable farming incentive. There are a lot of high standards in America. I have very good engagement with the Department for International Trade at all levels, and with Defra at all levels. UKICE: If you look at the whole period together, farming is obviously one of those areas where the big decisions used to be taken in Brussels, but theyre now being taken in a mix of London, Cardiff, Edinburgh. Co founder, Ladies in Beef and GBBW. UK in a Changing Europe (UKICE): You have a Conservative leadership battle that ends up with Theresa May becoming Prime Minister. So, I think everybody no matter what they say now was in total shock at what had happened. I think there was a bit of a fait accompli moment, that we live in a democratic country, democracy has been played out, and our focus was always on, How does this work best for British agriculture? But given the issues at hand went well beyond the economics argument, into issues such as immigration and sovereignty, it was also decided that the NFU would not campaign for Remain, nor would we advise our members how to vote. I think most definitely, in the run-up to those no deals, many farmers were thinking, This really does look terrifying. So, Liam Fox was obviously very engaged at that time as Secretary of State at DIT on the opportunities of global trade. I still look back on it as, fundamentally, my job is about speaking truth to power and getting what is needed for, not only the members, but consumers. But he was reshuffled when Boris Johnson came in. UKICE: Chequers obviously didnt go anywhere and sunk at the Salzburg Summit, but Theresa May does land a Withdrawal Agreement and Parliament is not passing it. Do you think the Government has yet worked out beyond some of the things youve been worried about like the ban on live animal exports the opportunities of post-Brexit Britain, on regulating differently, more smartly, being more pro-innovation? Of course, dont forget, then Covid-19 is hogging the news agenda, so its even harder to get your voice heard. UKICE: You seemed to have managed to at least persuade Michael Gove, Secretary of State, of some of that, because he was on the other side of that argument with DIT that summer. She supplemented her salary by writing romantic novelettes, short stories, and serials in her Agriculture is up for this global climate challenge. Or was that something you thought was a big opportunity? Yes, we did have very high-quality affordable food, the most affordable in Europe, the third most affordable in the world. And its still not resolved, which just shows how complex it is. The TCA landed on 24 December, with details to be filled in in some areas, while managing the pandemic. Agricultural Acts dont come along very often 1947, 1920 its over a 70-year gap. You didnt know what your workforce was going to look like, you didnt know what the future policy was going to look like. Where the UK/ GB exporters face the full battery of checks going into the EU, and EU exporters are waved through at the UK border. Initially she was an amateur jockey and assistant trainer to David Elsworth and James Toller. She runs the farm largely on her own, and her husband works in another industry. UKICE: Whether or not it was a majority of farmers, some farmers at least were keen to leave the EU. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. We convened our council, our sovereign body, again, at a special meeting in London. So, I continue to hold them to account on that. Her novels are often set against real backgrounds and real events to draw her readers into the reality of what she is writing about. Top $76,000-a-year New Jersey boarding school admits 'more should have been done' to stop bullying of boy, 17, who took his own life after being falsely accused of rape by cruel peers Then there was the permanent focus, bearing in mind that successive governments have driven people out of doing what are deemed not to be office-based jobs, I suppose. MB: No, it wasnt. MB: I think it was a phenomenal rebrand for the department, really. Matthew Parris asks Minette about the challenges of balancing her work with the day-to-day demands of farming and what impact Lord Plumb made on British life. Minette Batters (MB): Its a really odd bubble that were living in at the moment. I remember going to bed on referendum night and texting our Director of Strategy, Martin Howarth, who has been with the NFU a long time, and was in our London Office. Our focus was always based on what agriculture needed. We focused all our lobbying on, I guess, the outcomes that we wanted to see achieved, not our means of getting there by some of the existing avenues; the Single Market, customs union, EFTA. The Best Foreign Honkaku Mystery of the Decade, Vice-Lieutenant and Deputy Lieutenants of Dorset, "Minette Walters announces first book in decade and retirement from crime fiction", "The Siege of Lyme Regis Dorset History Centre blog", "1349 by Minette Walters - Gregory & Company Authors' Agents", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Minette_Walters&oldid=1148375305, Short description is different from Wikidata, All articles with vague or ambiguous time, Vague or ambiguous time from October 2012, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2012, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. He was there as Minister of State for Farming beforehand, under Michael, so we knew George very, very well. minette batters family. [5] The first of these novels is The Last Hours, set during the Black Death, followed by a sequel, The Turn of Midnight. Martin said, I think its going to be close but, without a doubt, it looks like were going to remain. MB: I still think that is undecided, effectively. So, from our point of view, it was important to have bilaterals with our opposite numbers and allow them to lobby their governments on what was needed. 48-52% was always going to be challenging, divisive, but to have another referendum, we didnt believe would have made any difference at all. Did you think, I need this like a hole in the head, I could just go back to my farm and live a quiet life, rather than get stuck into this political morass? Are you convinced that theyve got the capacity to make this work? I think we were quite at arms length, I would say, from influencing the European thinking. Im not so sure. MB: I think they were in a difficult position. You could say he brought a massive breath of oxygen into the department. Retail is now very loyal to British sourcing, so were seeing good prices across a range of agricultural products. minette batters familymilwaukee battery lights flashing back and forth minette batters family. I think officials have grappled with it and understood it for a long time, but politically, its still very difficult. MB: I think, genuinely, probably nobody wanted it to play out how its played out, which has been long and protracted and divisive. But Defra, government, really only focused on bail-out packages in a no deal scenario, that would allow farmers to effectively restructure. What I did feel, and what I do feel, is enormous weight of responsibility to get this right. She was first elected to the post in 2018 for two years, and was re-elected in March 2020. UKICE: At the moment, we have this sort of asymmetric border, dont we? But there was also a level of thinking, Well, it could just end up being no-deal by default. who played sergeant miller in heartbeat, kill squirrels with plaster of paris,
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