British farmers worse off

Farmers in the UK, like farmers in the rest of the European Federation, receive farming subsidies. In Scotland, they are paid out by a department of the Scottish Executive and in Wales they are paid by a department of the Welsh Assembly.

In England they are paid out by Defra, a department of the British Government.

Scottish and Welsh farmers received their subsidies on time last year.ÊIn fact, in most cases they were early.

In England some farmers are still waiting for last year's subsidies.ÊShropshire farmers whose farms straddle the English/Welsh border are the lucky ones.

They have at least had part of their subsidies, but the majority have had to remortgage their homes, take out loans or expensive overdrafts or have simply gone bankrupt or sold up.

Because of the late payments, the European Federation has levied huge fines on the British government which continue to increase as time goes on.

No doubt this will please our neighbours over the border in Wales who will pay a share of the fines by way of a cut in subsidy from the English taxpayer via the Barnett Formula. The same is also true of the Scots - the SNP must be rubbing their hands at the impending Scottish elections!

A devolved English government, even if they were no less likely to make such monumental cock-ups, would certainly be much more determined to fix their mistakes than a government that doesn't rely so heavily on English votes.

Stuart Parr, Telford