Anyone remember the promise of a pesticides tax? this one didn't even make it to the manifesto:

1. JAIL THREAT OVER GENE CROP FARMS
2. LABOUR'S MANIFESTO
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1. JAIL THREAT OVER GENE CROP FARMS
Birmingham Evening Mail May 14, 2001, Monday

PRODUCERS of genetically modified crops could face fines or even imprisonment if neighbouring farms are damaged by their activities. The Government is considering toughening its stance by legislating to regulate experiments on GM foods. The tough new approach was  indicated by Environment Minister Michael Meacher. It follows the embarrassing disclosure that a Government-approved GM trial is planned in Warwickshire just two miles away from Europe's largest organic research  centre at Ryton. Environmental protesters, who are staging regular pickets at the trial site, warned the experiment to grow genetically modified maze would damage the nearby Henry Doubleday seedbank, which is responsible for giving Ryton Organic Gardens its organic status.
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2. LABOUR'S MANIFESTO

Meaanwhile this is in the first chapter of Labour's election manifesto. Chapter title: 'Prosperity for All'

'We have set up an independent, open and consumer-focussed Food Standards Agency to ensure that all food meets the highest standards. We will argue for the extension of food labelling, to give consumers more choice. Genetically modified (GM) foods and crops have caused concern despite stringent safety checks. There should be high standards of safety - regulation must be strict, to protect the environment and promote public health and consumer choice - but we must use science to establish the facts, the opportunities and the risks before taking final decisions in an open way'.

So if their FSA is 'independent', how come they put extreme GM-enthusiast Sir John Krebs in charge of it?

If their FSA's 'consumer-focused' how come they've totally ignored consumer concerns on GM food safety while quickly attacking organic food about which there was no consumer concern?

And if their FSA wants 'stringent' safety, why did the FSA swallow the whole existing regulatory system for novel foods from day one without  question?

[for more on Krebs and the FSA see:  http://members.tripod.com/~ngin/pants1.htm]

The real giveaway in this Lord Sainsbury funded party's manifesto is that this is put in a section of the maifesto concerned NOT with democratic accountabilty, public consultation, or a sustainable future, but focused on 'prosperity'. Now there's the real Blairite agenda: prosperity for some!