GM Crops - Tony Blair's "Poll Tax"?
Marcus | 07.07.2002 22:11 | Bio-technology
Genetically modified (GM) crops and food are threatening to become Tony Blair’s "poll-tax" - with some ministers reportedly warning him that any attempt to impose the commercialisation of GM crops would lead to "civil unrest".
GM Crops - Tony Blair's "Poll Tax"?
Genetically modified (GM) crops and food are threatening to become Tony Blair’s "poll-tax" - with some ministers reportedly warning him that any attempt to impose the commercialisation of GM crops would lead to "civil unrest" [1].
The Peasants Revolt of 1381 was a direct result of the levying of a “poll-tax” by the parliament of the time. More than 600 years later another attempt was made to impose a poll-tax on the British people. By the end of March 1990 this flagship Thatcherite policy had led to widescale civil disobedience including a massive demonstration in London. Ultimately, the unpopularity of a policy, with which Margaret Thatcher was so identified, helped undermine her position as both Prime Minister and party leader.
The writing has been on the wall for the Blair Government since February 1999 when there was an explosion in public awareness of the moves to impose GM crops and food on the population. Media and public interest had become focused on the campaign to discredit Arpad Pusztai, a scientist who had discovered that GM potatoes caused harm to rats in experimental trials [2]. Tony Blair at the time attempted to defend GM foods by saying that he and his family ate products he regarded as safe [3]. In doing so he invited comparison with Margaret Thatcher's agriculture minister, John Gummer, who insisted during the BSE crisis that beef was "perfectly safe", and fed a hamburger to his four-year-old in front of the cameras [4].
Since then the UK government has tried repeatedly to convince the public of the safety of GM food and GM crops, despite the fact that no proof exists that these new foods are safe. The government’s Food Standards Agency, chaired by GM proponent Sir John Krebs, has been used to promote GM foods and denigrate organic foods [5]. Lord Sainsbury, the Science Minister, is an enthusiastic supporter of GM foods and has profited from shares in a GM food company [6]. From 1999 onwards the UK public has avoided GM foods, to the extent that no UK supermarket uses GM ingredients in any of its own-brand products.
GM crop plantings, in the guise of open-air trials, have gone ahead in spite of enormous opposition of people across the UK. In actions reminiscent of Greenham Common peace camp of the 1980's, August 2001 saw the establishment of an anti-GM protest camp at Munlochy on the Black Isle [7]. In April 2002, a Pink Castle sprang up on a GM crop trial site at Littlemoor in Dorset, as part of a protest camp aimed at highlighting the planting of GM maize by a local farmer [8]. The field of GM maize has since been destroyed by protestors and local people.
Democratically-elected local and national politicians seemingly have no powers to stop the crop trials from proceeding even where they want to [9]. When at public meetings and in local referenda, people have voted overwhelmingly against GM crops and have appealed to their local councillors and MPs to have the crop trials stopped, they've been told the trials are required by the EU.
For some who perceive that democracy has failed them, destruction of the crop remains one of the few available options. Uprooting of GM crops has become a routine activity at trial sites across the UK. Actions have been carried out by individuals and by groups, by day and night, overtly and covertly, since the first GM crops were planted. Of those arrested for this activity, not one protestor has yet been convicted by a jury of "criminal damage", one of the charges used often by the police against such actions [10, 11]. Juries have acquitted those who use the defence of trying to prevent a "greater crime", that of damage to the environment, from being committed [12].
The government has stated that the GM crop field trials are a necessary step prior to possible commercialisation of GM crops in 2003. Yet, a MORI poll from June 1998 shows 77% opposed to field trials of GM crops [13]. Furthermore, according to a MORI poll carried out in May 2002, the majority of the public would prefer not to eat GM food [14].
On 24 July 2002, anti-GM activists will converge on the offices of the Department of the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in London [15]. The demonstration will remind the government of the public's widespread opposition to GM crops and GM food, and emphasise that commercialisation of GM crops should not be allowed to proceed.
Any attempt by the government to commercialise GM crops, in the face of such massive consumer resistance, would be a mistake on the scale of the poll-tax which brought down Margaret Thatcher.
So, will Tony Blair and his ministers learn from history and listen to the opinions of UK citizens? Or will he, like his erring predecessors, try to impose his wishes on a public which remains wholeheartedly opposed to GM crops and GM food?
by Marcus Williamson
Editor, Genetically Modified Food – UK and World News
30 June 2002
http://www.gmfoodnews.com/
References
1. Cabinet split over seeking GM crop view – Independent, 13 April 2002
http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=284461
2. GM safety row – BBC News, 12 February 1999
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_278000/278171.stm
3. Blair backs modified food – BBC News, 15 February 1999
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk_politics/newsid_280000/280145.stm
4. John Gummer: Beef eater – BBC News, 18 June 1999
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/special_report/1999/06/99/bse_inquiry/newsid_369000/369625.stm
5. Organic food ‘no healthier’ – BBC News, 1 September 2000
http://news6.thdo.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid%5F906000/906530.stm
6. Sainsbury is attacked for GM share 'profits' – Independent – 26 May 2000
http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=299098
7. Harper rallies GM protesters – BBC News, 24 November 2001
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/scotland/newsid_1673000/1673545.stm
8. Pink Castle ‘blocks’ GM crop tests – BBC News, 6 May 2002
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/england/newsid_1971000/1971006.stm
9. MSPs want GM trial halted – BBC News, 17 April 2002
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/scotland/newsid_1935000/1935142.stm
10. GM protesters cleared – BBC News, 27 June 2001
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1410000/1410089.stm
11. GM protesters win legal challenge – BBC News, 16 October 2001
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1602000/1602313.stm
12. GM protesters plead not guilty – BBC News, 20 September 1999
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_452000/452504.stm
13. MORI - June 1998, Genewatch
14. MORI - May 2002, Greenpeace
15. No GM crop commercialisation – Deliver your message to DEFRA
http://www.gmfoodnews.com/gf240702.txt
Genetically modified (GM) crops and food are threatening to become Tony Blair’s "poll-tax" - with some ministers reportedly warning him that any attempt to impose the commercialisation of GM crops would lead to "civil unrest" [1].
The Peasants Revolt of 1381 was a direct result of the levying of a “poll-tax” by the parliament of the time. More than 600 years later another attempt was made to impose a poll-tax on the British people. By the end of March 1990 this flagship Thatcherite policy had led to widescale civil disobedience including a massive demonstration in London. Ultimately, the unpopularity of a policy, with which Margaret Thatcher was so identified, helped undermine her position as both Prime Minister and party leader.
The writing has been on the wall for the Blair Government since February 1999 when there was an explosion in public awareness of the moves to impose GM crops and food on the population. Media and public interest had become focused on the campaign to discredit Arpad Pusztai, a scientist who had discovered that GM potatoes caused harm to rats in experimental trials [2]. Tony Blair at the time attempted to defend GM foods by saying that he and his family ate products he regarded as safe [3]. In doing so he invited comparison with Margaret Thatcher's agriculture minister, John Gummer, who insisted during the BSE crisis that beef was "perfectly safe", and fed a hamburger to his four-year-old in front of the cameras [4].
Since then the UK government has tried repeatedly to convince the public of the safety of GM food and GM crops, despite the fact that no proof exists that these new foods are safe. The government’s Food Standards Agency, chaired by GM proponent Sir John Krebs, has been used to promote GM foods and denigrate organic foods [5]. Lord Sainsbury, the Science Minister, is an enthusiastic supporter of GM foods and has profited from shares in a GM food company [6]. From 1999 onwards the UK public has avoided GM foods, to the extent that no UK supermarket uses GM ingredients in any of its own-brand products.
GM crop plantings, in the guise of open-air trials, have gone ahead in spite of enormous opposition of people across the UK. In actions reminiscent of Greenham Common peace camp of the 1980's, August 2001 saw the establishment of an anti-GM protest camp at Munlochy on the Black Isle [7]. In April 2002, a Pink Castle sprang up on a GM crop trial site at Littlemoor in Dorset, as part of a protest camp aimed at highlighting the planting of GM maize by a local farmer [8]. The field of GM maize has since been destroyed by protestors and local people.
Democratically-elected local and national politicians seemingly have no powers to stop the crop trials from proceeding even where they want to [9]. When at public meetings and in local referenda, people have voted overwhelmingly against GM crops and have appealed to their local councillors and MPs to have the crop trials stopped, they've been told the trials are required by the EU.
For some who perceive that democracy has failed them, destruction of the crop remains one of the few available options. Uprooting of GM crops has become a routine activity at trial sites across the UK. Actions have been carried out by individuals and by groups, by day and night, overtly and covertly, since the first GM crops were planted. Of those arrested for this activity, not one protestor has yet been convicted by a jury of "criminal damage", one of the charges used often by the police against such actions [10, 11]. Juries have acquitted those who use the defence of trying to prevent a "greater crime", that of damage to the environment, from being committed [12].
The government has stated that the GM crop field trials are a necessary step prior to possible commercialisation of GM crops in 2003. Yet, a MORI poll from June 1998 shows 77% opposed to field trials of GM crops [13]. Furthermore, according to a MORI poll carried out in May 2002, the majority of the public would prefer not to eat GM food [14].
On 24 July 2002, anti-GM activists will converge on the offices of the Department of the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in London [15]. The demonstration will remind the government of the public's widespread opposition to GM crops and GM food, and emphasise that commercialisation of GM crops should not be allowed to proceed.
Any attempt by the government to commercialise GM crops, in the face of such massive consumer resistance, would be a mistake on the scale of the poll-tax which brought down Margaret Thatcher.
So, will Tony Blair and his ministers learn from history and listen to the opinions of UK citizens? Or will he, like his erring predecessors, try to impose his wishes on a public which remains wholeheartedly opposed to GM crops and GM food?
by Marcus Williamson
Editor, Genetically Modified Food – UK and World News
30 June 2002
http://www.gmfoodnews.com/ References
1. Cabinet split over seeking GM crop view – Independent, 13 April 2002
http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=284461 2. GM safety row – BBC News, 12 February 1999
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_278000/278171.stm 3. Blair backs modified food – BBC News, 15 February 1999
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk_politics/newsid_280000/280145.stm 4. John Gummer: Beef eater – BBC News, 18 June 1999
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/special_report/1999/06/99/bse_inquiry/newsid_369000/369625.stm 5. Organic food ‘no healthier’ – BBC News, 1 September 2000
http://news6.thdo.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid%5F906000/906530.stm 6. Sainsbury is attacked for GM share 'profits' – Independent – 26 May 2000
http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=299098 7. Harper rallies GM protesters – BBC News, 24 November 2001
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/scotland/newsid_1673000/1673545.stm 8. Pink Castle ‘blocks’ GM crop tests – BBC News, 6 May 2002
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/england/newsid_1971000/1971006.stm 9. MSPs want GM trial halted – BBC News, 17 April 2002
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/scotland/newsid_1935000/1935142.stm 10. GM protesters cleared – BBC News, 27 June 2001
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1410000/1410089.stm 11. GM protesters win legal challenge – BBC News, 16 October 2001
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1602000/1602313.stm 12. GM protesters plead not guilty – BBC News, 20 September 1999
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_452000/452504.stm 13. MORI - June 1998, Genewatch
14. MORI - May 2002, Greenpeace
15. No GM crop commercialisation – Deliver your message to DEFRA
http://www.gmfoodnews.com/gf240702.txt
Marcus
Homepage:
http://www.gmfoodnews.com/