Articles and Speeches / April 2006
Butchers over a barrel
A kilo of carrots for 51p. Two pints of milk for 53p. Six apples for 72p. There can be no doubt that the supermarket has brought us everything we desire, any time, any place. Tesco, Asda-Walmart, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons: these companies have thrived because they understand the needs of time-poor, cash-rich modern Britain. But at what price?
Published 25th April 2006
Commons Bill Second Reading
Commons are a relic of the old manorial system of land tenure. It is not surprising that it is a complex subject, because the history goes back a very long way and people have huge attachment to their common rights and to any commons on which they exercise them.
Liberal Democrats will support the Bill because we believe that town and village greens are important for the communities in which they are situated and provide them with opportunities to exercise and to enjoy pastimes. Unfortunately, such greens are often encroached upon. We welcome the powers in the Bill to ensure that that does not continue. We recognise the importance of commons, particularly to agriculture and to remote farming communities whose common rights are the backbone of their business. Without those rights, the business would often not survive. Commoners are fiercely possessive of their rights and their commons, and know them well. In many families those rights go back generations and the attachment is great.
Published 20th April 2006