Degressivity, Socialism for the rich and Crofter "customers".

"Haud me back!"

I didn't know what," degressivity" meant either, until half an hour ago. Neither did Spell-check or the Oxford English Dictionary, the really big version. However, it is a key part of CAP reform in Scotland. Farmers who have been receiving an annual basic payment of over £120 k a year will have this progressively reduced by 5% per annum with a cap on payments at £400 k p.a.

Can't argue with that.  Perhaps it's the Scottish government signalling an end to socialism for the rich (SFTR). It's the invention of non-words by bureaucrats and EU functionaries to exclude the common people, me,  from any debate  that irritates me.

I did think that if I applied my mind, or what's left of it,  I might be able to break the code and understand how the changes are going to affect Crofters. If you want to try this for yourself take a look at www.gov.scot/Resource/0045/00453526.pdf.

1. Scottish farmers and crofters are going to get the lowest payments in Europe and in the UK on average of E128 / ha. compared with a UK average of E225, this what the UK government negotiated for us.
2. The country (Scotland) is divided into three payment areas; area 1 is the best land capable of arable production which gets E176 / ha. Area 2 is better quality rough grazing E28 / ha., and Area 3 the poorest land gets 8 / ha. Crofters get the lowest level of payment in Scotland and Europe.
3. The biggest SFTR scam,  "Slipper Farmers",  those who do nothing but still collect the payment can no longer do this, you have to carry out real farming activity but no doubt their land agents will find another dodgy, unethical loophole.

And another thing - like railway passengers and tax payers we are now "customers" even though we don't buy anything from them. Could this be a result of the CCCC ( Conservative, capitalist, consumerist, conspiracy) At this rate by 2020 we'll all be Serfs.

Feeling incensed about this I went out and had a rant to the sheep, you can see their level of interest in the image above.