THE Red Tractor logo that bears the Union flag has spread throughout almost all supermarket food packaging including Lidl, Aldi, M&S, Morrison, the Co-op, Tesco, Asda, et al. Interestingly Sainsbury’s have ditched it.
Although the Saltire is prominent on Scottish produce, that little tractor just sits there reminding us of how British we are. Assured Food Standards was started by the National Farmers Union of England and Wales in 2000 as a regulatory stamp of quality and humane animal care. The Union flag was added in 2005. Now it is prominent on most Scottish produce.
We already have a regulatory body in Scotland enshrined in law. Food Standards Scotland has policy responsibility for food information, food labelling, food standards and nutrition labelling in Scotland. We also have the Meat and Livestock Commission logo scheme, “Scotch Meat PGI (Protected Geographical Indication)”, “Scotch Lamb PGI” and “Specially Selected Pork PGI”, plus there is the Label Rouge Scottish Farmed Salmon Product Certification Scheme.
A report on farm assurance schemes and animal welfare contained in-depth assessment of Red Tractor, British Lion Mark, RSPCA Freedom Food and Soil Association schemes, as well as Quality Meat Scotland and the Scottish Organic Producers Association. It found Red Tractor laid down the lowest animal welfare standards of any quality mark, so why has it gone UK-wide? Perhaps the answer lies in the Union flag logo.
Last year saw Baroness Lucy Neville-Rolfe, a former Tory minister, appointed as chairwoman of Assured Food Standards. The co-ordinated attempt at hi-Union-jacking Scottish brands continues.
Mike Herd
Highland
EFTA may be a good choice for an indy Scotland – but questions over Europe are for after. Brexit is a UK and English question, so why should Nicola Sturgeon get involved by backing a People’s Vote? It’s not a problem of her making and it’s a poisoned chalice for her. Reality is now sinking in with these incompetent Brexiteers (who never really expected to win) what a farce this is, which will leave us all worse off. Nicola must let them fall on their own swords. And sadly Labour is not providing any decent opposition.
Cat Boyd discusses austerity imposed by the World Bank. The problems in Europe are to do with political union (or not) and the euro. Why was Greece ever admitted to the eurozone (or Italy for that matter)? If there is greater EU political union, then the more prosperous nations must support less prosperous regions (as in the States). Otherwise it’s no political union. As to Greece, they had an unsustainable system set up to avoid paying their taxes and retire early on large pensions: a tax-and-spend policy bound to fail and working for no-one – something had to give.
Boyd is also totally dismissive of the EU position – how can they disregard, undermine or alter the EU project and rules simply to suit the UK? For Germany the European project is more important than selling us cars. England and Brexit is about inward-looking racism and anti-immigration. Scotland cannot afford isolationism. Those with left-leaning views ignore the failures of tax and spend to their peril and they forget the harm caused by Brown economics. A healthy economy does require decent social policies, but the Nordic countries pursue capitalism in business. A healthy economy requires balance.
Perhaps the EU should not be about greater political union but rather about being a free trading block. There are several layers around what the EU project is, and all nations today must agree on trading rules. Free trade has brought us great prosperity and economic stability: Scotland benefits financially from EU grants, EU immigration and much more. Any questions over Europe are totally different to Scotland needing its self-determination and have muddied the waters of the constitutional questions. We need clarity: this is a fight for our civil rights and for a fair democracy.
These debates over Scotland’s directions are for after our independence and they are only a confusing distraction – after all, without self-determination we will only suffer more enforced and misguided Tory rule.
P Keightley
Glasgow
IN reply to Jim Fairlie (Letters, August 14), I think Jim is living in a bygone era if he believes that in this globalised and inter-dependant world it is possible for any country to have complete sovereign control over all its economic and political relationships. This is not to say that I’m against having Scottish currency either at the start of independence or later when economically suitable.
In the meantime, I’ll settle for the kind of independence Germany has but unfortunately, reading Jim’s letters, I get the impression that if the SNP says white, Jim will say black.
Douglas Turner
Edinburgh
READ MORE: Letters, August 14
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel