Laura Anne Jones MS: ‘Bluetongue restrictions are completely disproportionate’

In her monthly blog for Caerphilly Observer, Conservative Senedd Member for South Wales East, Laura Anne Jones, talks about the spread of bluetongue, and the decision to reverse winter fuel payment cuts

Farmers I have spoken to are outraged by the UK Government’s decision to impose restrictions on livestock movements in Wales to prevent the spread of bluetongue.

The restrictions are completely disproportionate, and many farmers and livestock auctioneers I’ve been in contact with can’t see how these restrictions will solve the issue when you consider that the disease is spread by midges, not between livestock.

This will be a huge blow to our farmers, at a time when they are already being battered by governments at both ends of the M4.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales President said the announcement would bring “a wealth of barriers and complications”, while Chris Dodds of the Livestock Auctioneers Association has said the restrictions would be “catastrophic.”

It will be especially damaging to our communities in South East Wales, like Caerphilly, and also our border communities.

There was no economic impact assessment done before Welsh Government took a decision of this magnitude, which is baffling. 

The Welsh Government has got this decision wrong. It is not enough to keep these measures “under review”, they need to be scrapped, and scrapped urgently, before serious consequences take hold.  

We all want to halt the spread of bluetongue, but I’m sorry to say that this policy shows again that the UK and Welsh Governments don’t understand farming, and have dealt farmers yet another brutal blow in Wales. 

Winter fuel payments

While Labour were right to perform their screeching U-turn on their decision to take winter fuel payments away from pensioners, the picture is far from rosy following the UK Government’s Spending Review.

Our agricultural communities are still set to be pummelled by the family farm tax which will rip the heart out of many of our Welsh farms, and our economy continues to shrink.

Unfortunately, there is a long list of U-turns we will need to see from Labour if we are going to get our economy onto the front foot and help our communities thrive.

As a farmer’s daughter, I will continue to strongly back our rural communities in the Senedd, and support their efforts to feed our nation. After all, no farmers means no food.

Next month, the Women’s Open will be held in Wales, at the Royal Porthcawl course.

This will be the first time the championship will be held in Wales, and as the chair of the Senedd’s cross party group on sport, I’m very excited for the world’s best golfers to come here and inspire the next generation of golfers.

This is an exciting time for women’s sport in Wales, and I know this event will be a roaring success.