Labour will not win a war on the countryside

Jeremy Clarkson says the Chancellor has declared all out-war on the countryside’ The National Farmers’ Union is no less incensed and is campaigning strongly against what it dubs the family farm tax’ Farmers had been growing increasingly dissatisfied with the ineffectual Conservative government.

But Labour appear to have squandered this opportunity for a tax change that is unlikely to raise any significant revenue.

Each of these solar farms is around the size of Gatwick Airport and will effectively industrialise over nine square miles of prime arable countryside.

Over 600 miles of new power lines are also thought to be required if the UK is to decarbonise the network.

But the haste in which Miliband has given permission means that he and his government will have to own the inevitable blowback.