Cardboard Marge
- February 7, 2002
This Opinion was featured in the February 7, 2002 issue of Canada's The Western Producer. Images courtesy the Farmers Weekly.
Ridiculing the newish British minister of other things and agriculture with a cardboard image has entertainment value but may not be in the best long term interest of the industry.
The British government has now been without a cabinet minister specifically responsible for agriculture since last June. In a post election cabinet shuffle the agriculture portfolio was merged with other responsibilities to form DEFRA, the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Without agriculture or farming featuring in the title the Secretary of State responsible for DEFRA, Ms. Margaret Beckett, is clearly the minister of other things than agriculture, rather than the other way round. In fact none of her five subordinate ministers even has agriculture in their title.
This move was widely anticipated. The old Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food had long been criticized for being too close to the industries which it represented but with which the current government has little affinity. Indeed, the Prime Minister may have been only too happy not to have to appoint one of his lieutenants to a kiss of death portfolio.
To suggest that there has been any dramatic change in the fortunes of agriculture as a result of this move would be an overstatement. The reality was that relationships were pretty ropy before the change. Surely agriculture no longer has a sympathetic listener, but if that listening does not produce results, unproductive time is perhaps being saved.
Ms Beckett, a career politician, like many of her predecessors appeared to have no prior association with agriculture. Her interest in caravan vacations might have provided her with some insight into British agriculture, if her holiday destinations of choice were not on the European continent.
In fact her first major publicity in an agricultural context was being called back from an extended Eurpean vacation to announce the government’s post foot and mouth plans.
Having inherited an industry alienated and in trouble it was to be expected that she would tend to occupy herself in the other corners of her portfolio.
But her inclination to decline speaking engagements had unexpected consequences in December. A farm conference organizer, so spurned, resorted to constructing a life size cardboard replica of the minister for display on the conference podium. This was an instant success and soon nicknamed "Cardboard Marge." Since then it has hardly been absent from a photo opportunity.
Cardboard Marge, clad in tuxedo style evening wear complete with patent leather slippers, has been photographed on tractor seats, admiring various livestock at close range, being escorted in a horizontal position from one engagement to the next, and, of course, propped up in the corner of conference podiums.
While all this has entertainment value, it shows little respect for some one who is nominally leader of the industry. Those that care about such things must quietly hope that Ms. Beckett has a sense of humour and believes that poor publicity is better than none.
But the majority undoubtedly believe that she is of limited relevance. It is this that is the most serious repercussion of the loss of a Minister of Agriculture. Ms. Beckett may appear stiff both as an effigy and in person, but continued ridicule is unlikely to softener her up or to be in the best long term interest of the industry.
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