Coffey with Turnips.

[tommy toes]

Baldrick will be happy anyway.

[Glyn_Wigley]

Not if everybody has to eat his turnips.

[tommy toes]

No, never thought of that.
Still i'll be having turnip salad tomorrow, with pickled turnips on the side.

[Dagenham Rover]

A swede is from Sweden!  a turnip and a cabbage I suppose i better not go there

[BillyStubbsTears]

A couple of things strike me about this


1) I thought the Tories were all about keeping Govt out of personal decisions? Seems an odd thing for a Cabinet Minister to be telling us which root vegetables to be eating.

2) Has she no political antennae? No understanding of how this is going to define the absolute shitshoe that her and her Brexit colleagues have visited on us? These are the sort of ridiculous comments that future generations will snigger about when reflecting on the failure of this generation of Tory politicians, just like the "Crisis? What Crisis?" quote that Jim Callaghan never said defined the end of the 1970s Labour Govt.

[tommy toes]

The Media pushing the line that it's the weather not Brexit causing the shortages, so why are there numerous photos of fully stocked shelves all over the EU.

[Glyn_Wigley]

It's a turnip for the books!

[tommy toes]

Great clip on twitter, Coffey with Les Dennis on Family Fortunes.
'We asked you to name a salad item, you said Turnip, our survey said....

[drfchound]

Press copy from 1979.

1979: 'No chaos here' declares Callaghan
The Prime Minister, James Callaghan, has flown back into strike-torn Britain denying allegations the country is in chaos.
Mr Callaghan told reporters at London airport he would not be declaring a state of emergency - and he dismissed suggestions the country was facing an industrial crisis.

He said: "I promise if you look at it from the outside, I don't think other people in the world would share the view that there is mounting chaos".

Mr Callaghan has been attending a four nation summit in Guadeloupe when many MPs felt he should have stayed in Britain to deal with the widespread industrial unrest.

Strikes have erupted over the past two months in protest at the government's 5% limit on pay rises.

Election call

Bread rationing was imposed briefly in November when a bakers' strike led to panic buying.

Lorry drivers began an unofficial strike five days ago in support of a 25% pay claim.

Tanker drivers are pursuing a separate claim. If both strikes were to become official, they would cause widespread disruption to industry and business.

Opposition MPs are calling for a general election.

Conservative MP, Michael Heseltine said, "It's quite obvious Mr Callaghan is out of touch with the deteriorating situation in Britain...to come back and suggest it all looks parochial is frankly patronising."

He said if the lorry drivers called an official stoppage, then a state of emergency should be declared.
….
….
….


What goes around comes around I suppose, just with different characters.

[ravenrover]

It looks like a thingy

[tommy toes]

Hound
The Labour government then was trying to battle with inflation nearing 30% in the mid 1970's.
By 1978 they'd got it down to 10% but the horrible weather in the winter of 78/79 led to problems in manufacturing and supply.
Callaghan tried to keep public sector wage demands to 5%, to help curb inflation, but then Ford workers at Dagenham were given a 17% pay rise, so everybody else wanted the same. Hence all the strikes.
Then there was another Global downturn at the same time so that was that for Labour, paving the way for Thatcherism.

[ravenrover]

Can just see it now in the Westminster subsidised restaurant
And would you like a Turnip salad with you your grilled chicken breast Ms Coffey?

[bpoolrover]

The Media pushing the line that it's the weather not Brexit causing the shortages, so why are there numerous photos of fully stocked shelves all over the EU.

they are probably selling it to places closer to home so they don’t have to fork out on fuel expenses etc, in Europe it averages 1.50 a cucumber compared to 75 pence in the Uk, that’s according to the growers association or you can believe what mick hucknall says!

[Bentley Bullet]

I heard Mick Hucknall is blaming the UK's shortage of corn on Brexit also. He thinks the EU is holding back the ears.

[ravenrover]

I'll just leave this here, with no comment

[Cramby10]

The Media pushing the line that it's the weather not Brexit causing the shortages, so why are there numerous photos of fully stocked shelves all over the EU.

it’s neither to be honest. It’s the greedy supermarkets not paying enough to the farmers. It’s not covering the cost of production so they’ve stopped producing. Simple as that. We’ve been warning of this for a year or so now. It was always going to happen.

[ravenrover]

How much of the out of season produce toms, peppers cucumbers, salad leaves etc are home produced? Every time we buy them they are always produce of Spain, Netherlands, Italy etc.
If you are one of the producers would you supply UK with all the import nonsense, queues paperwork or simply drive across an open border and supply your fellow EU partners. Weather conditions my arse!

[bpoolrover]

How much of the out of season produce toms, peppers cucumbers, salad leaves etc are home produced? Every time we buy them they are always produce of Spain, Netherlands, Italy etc.
If you are one of the producers would you supply UK with all the import nonsense, queues paperwork or simply drive across an open border and supply your fellow EU partners. Weather conditions my arse!

or could it just because fuel is more expensive they will make more profit by selling it to nearby places!

[Glyn_Wigley]

The Media pushing the line that it's the weather not Brexit causing the shortages, so why are there numerous photos of fully stocked shelves all over the EU.

they are probably selling it to places closer to home so they don’t have to fork out on fuel expenses etc, in Europe it averages 1.50 a cucumber compared to 75 pence in the Uk, that’s according to the growers association or you can believe what mick hucknall says!

That's what happens when you voluntarily impose Customs Duties on both ways of travel as well as putting yourself on the wrong side of CAP Countervailing Duty and quotas. But then, everybody knew what they were voting for so why are they complaining?

[drfchound]

Not everyone voted leave though.

[Glyn_Wigley]

Not everyone voted leave though.

But they have to 'suck it up' with the rest of us, apparently.

[drfchound]

Of course we do.
It was a democratic vote (I voted to remain) so we have to accept the outcome and carry on.

[Glyn_Wigley]

Of course, now that the democratic will has been carried out and accepted we are free to recognise the outcome and campaign for its reversal.

[drfchound]

Of course, now that the democratic will has been carried out and accepted we are free to recognise the outcome and campaign for its reversal.

Once again, of course.
Good luck with that.

[ravenrover]

How much of the out of season produce toms, peppers cucumbers, salad leaves etc are home produced? Every time we buy them they are always produce of Spain, Netherlands, Italy etc.
If you are one of the producers would you supply UK with all the import nonsense, queues paperwork or simply drive across an open border and supply your fellow EU partners. Weather conditions my arse!

or could it just because fuel is more expensive they will make more profit by selling it to nearby places!

Roughly £1.67  per litre at the moment  so can't see that as a reason, it's all down to the.lies we were fed in 2016 IMO

[Cramby10]

How much of the out of season produce toms, peppers cucumbers, salad leaves etc are home produced? Every time we buy them they are always produce of Spain, Netherlands, Italy etc.
If you are one of the producers would you supply UK with all the import nonsense, queues paperwork or simply drive across an open border and supply your fellow EU partners. Weather conditions my arse!

or could it just because fuel is more expensive they will make more profit by selling it to nearby places!

they are selling to nearby places because they’re willing to pay more. And quite right too. The paperwork as suggested will also be an issue. Our disgraceful supermarkets won’t want to eat into the shareholders profits by paying a little bit more. Proved by the fact that many of our nations greenhouses are empty as they can’t afford the cost of heating them through winter and the supermarkets are unwilling to pay the producers more to cover the costs.
The same happened with the eggs. Bird flu my arse. The cost of heating the sheds and the cost of grain to feed them was so much more than what the supermarkets were prepared to pay so just the farmers just stopped producing.
And going forward it will happen with field veg this autumn. Turnips even!! The cost of fertiliser, fuel etc has risen so much that the cost of production is not covered by what the supermarkets are willing to pay so will just not plant them.

[scawsby steve]

Of course, now that the democratic will has been carried out and accepted we are free to recognise the outcome and campaign for its reversal.

It looks like Uncle Keith is going to let you down on that one, Glyn.

You can always vote for the Lib Dems though.

[ravenrover]

How much of the out of season produce toms, peppers cucumbers, salad leaves etc are home produced? Every time we buy them they are always produce of Spain, Netherlands, Italy etc.
If you are one of the producers would you supply UK with all the import nonsense, queues paperwork or simply drive across an open border and supply your fellow EU partners. Weather conditions my arse!

or could it just because fuel is more expensive they will make more profit by selling it to nearby places!

they are selling to nearby places because they’re willing to pay more. And quite right too. The paperwork as suggested will also be an issue. Our disgraceful supermarkets won’t want to eat into the shareholders profits by paying a little bit more. Proved by the fact that many of our nations greenhouses are empty as they can’t afford the cost of heating them through winter and the supermarkets are unwilling to pay the producers more to cover the costs.
The same happened with the eggs. Bird flu my arse. The cost of heating the sheds and the cost of grain to feed them was so much more than what the supermarkets were prepared to pay so just the farmers just stopped producing.
And going forward it will happen with field veg this autumn. Turnips even!! The cost of fertiliser, fuel etc has risen so much that the cost of production is not covered by what the supermarkets are willing to pay so will just not plant them.

They might not want to pay more but they will certainly charge the public more.
Having said which I went into my local Sainsbury local and the only item missing was peppers, of any colour

[Cramby10]

How much of the out of season produce toms, peppers cucumbers, salad leaves etc are home produced? Every time we buy them they are always produce of Spain, Netherlands, Italy etc.
If you are one of the producers would you supply UK with all the import nonsense, queues paperwork or simply drive across an open border and supply your fellow EU partners. Weather conditions my arse!

or could it just because fuel is more expensive they will make more profit by selling it to nearby places!

they are selling to nearby places because they’re willing to pay more. And quite right too. The paperwork as suggested will also be an issue. Our disgraceful supermarkets won’t want to eat into the shareholders profits by paying a little bit more. Proved by the fact that many of our nations greenhouses are empty as they can’t afford the cost of heating them through winter and the supermarkets are unwilling to pay the producers more to cover the costs.
The same happened with the eggs. Bird flu my arse. The cost of heating the sheds and the cost of grain to feed them was so much more than what the supermarkets were prepared to pay so just the farmers just stopped producing.
And going forward it will happen with field veg this autumn. Turnips even!! The cost of fertiliser, fuel etc has risen so much that the cost of production is not covered by what the supermarkets are willing to pay so will just not plant them.

They might not want to pay more but they will certainly charge the public more.
Having said which I went into my local Sainsbury local and the only item missing was peppers, of any colour

but they don’t. That’s the problem. Bags of carrots for instance are a matter of pence. So you can assume the pittance they give the farmer. They’re all trying to undercut each other with price promises etc. It’s not covering the cost of production. They’ve taken the piss out of farmers for far too long.
How many industries out there have to buy retail but sell wholesale??

[River Don]

This is almost certainly in part a Brexit thing but it is also a climate change thing.

Europe had a very hot drought summer, this was then followed up by an unusual frosty cold snap around the Med. These are far from ideal growing conditions.

Mix into this the war in Ukraine pushing up energy prices making it harder for European producers to grow produce under glass with heating and far more expensive artificial fertilisers.

That's a systemic change and A couple of black swans, though how how long those black swans continue to be highly unusual remains to be seen....

This is shaping up to be an El Niño year. That means a greater likelihood of warm dry conditions across Europe again this summer.

Goodness knows how long the war in Ukraine will last and how long relations with Russia will be strained.

Whilst the UK is experiencing shortages in some fresh foods, Europe isn't getting away with it, where the shelves may still be full but prices are very high.