Farms Minister - funny or just downright scary

As part of Blair's reshuffle he appointed Baroness Aston as Farms Minister, whilst keeping her in Constitutional Affairs. After complaints about the inability of a Minister to do the job part-time, the Government admitted there had been a mistake and appointed Lord Rooker - on a part-time basis.

This at a time when DEFRA is in crisis over its failure to pay farm subsidies, leaving farmers with huge costs from overdrafts and loans, and with Senior Civil Servants coming and going all over the place.

The incompetence would be laughable, if it were not so serious. But it does show how little Blair thinks of our farmers.