Comments on the GMO "issue"

One of the reasons that I have a distaste for party politics on councils is that political parties often create issues artificially around election time, synthesize a plausible local connexion and use it either to bolster flagging support or distract attention from other issues. Here's a current example from the Lib Dem camp.

The West Devon council meeting on Tuesday 15 April will have a motion from the Lib Dem group, citing an EU Directive of 2001, asking the council to call on the government to exclude West Devon from GM trials. One has to ask "why now?" It's a long time since 2001.

For an answer to that, look no further than current LD election literature. I'll leave you to do that for yourselves. I'll also leave you to draw your own conclusions. If there's anything more cynical than jumping on a bandwaggon, it's creating a bandwaggon to jump on.

The fact is that West Devon Borough Council's representations will make little or no difference to decisions by the government about GM trials. I don't think any of us do, really. As a voter myself, I rather resent the assumption that a very obvious electoral gimmick like this would persuade me to vote for a group of candidates that allows its leaders to promote the party in such a cynically contrived way. Regardless of the merits of the case, it would put me off.

How about you?

Published as an Internet document by R W Mathew, Willowby, Down Road, Tavistock, Devon