Not strictly correct, he was a minister in a Labour government, at the time when numerous people from every party and from outside politics were being asked to serve in a 'government of all the talents'
He's a crossbencher in the House of Lords
Not a total surprise. Does *anyone* agree with Ed on this?
It's simple. Grow a suitable crop, sell it at a profit to the local addicts, and get your shopping delivered by Waitrose.
All it needs is a packet of seeds, cheap electricity, maybe from solar PV, and a mobile phone.
In message , harryagain writes
How? Given a half acre garden you might have space but small scale costs: seeds, fertiliser, chemicals, items purchased from the gardening section of Tesco et al, outweigh the value produced.
Livestock brings you into reach of DEFRA and the rule book:-(
An "standard" allotment, (1/16th of an acre, 300 sq yards, 10 x 30 yds) can produce enough veg for a family but it's not easy work.
And you would need to live somewhere with suitable weather. The growing season up here is short and it's a little exposed. We have had plants literally blown out of the ground and even if that doesn't happen they will get bashed to hell by the wind.
Is all livestock (cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, etc) covered by the "rule book" or are there exceptions for small holdings with just a single animal of a couple of species?
Then of course there is the slaughter and butchering. Many are happy to buy a couple of nice prepared steaks from the supermarket or butchers but how many could string up a 2 year old bullock, slaughter and butcher it? And what do you do with the offal that you can't really eat?
Err, I thought this wasn't allowed?
(Although I helped my next door neighbour butcher a pig a couple of years ago, since I at least have a vague grasp of porcine anatomy. And I've been in an abbatoir a number of times, so the insides of animals don't bother me.)
Leave it for the foxes/buzzards? Put it in your green wheely bin?
It's akin to doing your own work on gas, AIUI. You're allowed to DIY for yourself, but anything above that has to be regulated.
Home slaughter of a Corgi. Or, indeed, a CORGI.
Ah. Makes sense. Wonder if the leg of pork I got counts? :o)
Too late, anyway. We ate it.
That depends on whether it was a private slaughter at a licenced slaughterhouse or home slaughter by the pig's owner.
It is never too late for the Nanny State to get involved. Kindly regurgitate it immediately so that the Local Authority can condemn it. ;-)
Evidence? What evidence?
I don't think so, Dave. I crop an area bigger than that each year and don't reckon to feed the two of us plus visiting family. There is a huge wastage due to hybrid varieties ripening over a very narrow harvesting period. I suppose with allotments there is an opportunity to swop surpluses. I find my domestic staff:-) reluctant to cook the same offering more than twice in succession. Potatoes, onions for storing work OK. Runner beans OK but peas a waste of space.
I'd need to look up the regulations as the last 4 legger left here in
2006. There are a couple of pigs on our local allotments so it must be possible.There is a 12 year long thread on uk.business.agriculture triggered by a smallholder pig keeper getting into conflict with the veterinary service during the last F&M outbreak!
Regulations again. You can get an animal slaughtered and the carcass boxed by an abattoir but the meat has to pass inspection and there has to be a Vet present. I'm sure back street jobs happen and own use is a special case. I'm rather partial to Fallow:-)
>In message , Adrian writes
The capital allowances rules are some of the most complicated around - and usually change from year to year.
In message , Adrian writes
Which is why leasing was introduced in the first place, but when the rules changed contract hire appeared because all your hire fees can be written off as expenditure.
No it wouldn't be an investment
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