Did you watch London become a part of France yesterday? Yes, that same spirit of equalite, egalite et fraternite resonated throughout the capital yesterday as almost half a million people turned out to protect their livelihood and liberty. “Are we the most underrepresented minority?” one of the thousands asked yesterday. On the face of it, they probably have a point. Sara Allison, Alexander Dragonetti and Thomas Hood join forces to reveal the roots of a problem that has threatened to split Britain into rural and urban sectors.

It was not necessarily a statement of disagreement with the proposed introduction of a foxhunting ban, but a protest at the decline of countryside life. 400,000 people led the March through the streets of London on Sunday 22nd September, which was described as “positive” and “very beneficial” by Mr John Hull, a farmer and ex-showjumper who is resident in Oundle. In some ways many people feel that foxhunting has taken priority over other issues and liberties, which are now under represented. For example “if food is not produced and sold in the United Kingdom, more renewable energy resources are used to export them to other countries and import produce to the UK,” says John Hull. Mr Hull also insists that it is not “a class matter”.

Emma Wingell, a shop-assistant in ‘Leo’s Saddlery’ in Oundle, took part in the Countryside March in order to “highlight the problems in the countryside, for example the lack of general infrastructure and services. In addition it highlighted the increase and ongoing problem of job losses, especially in the farming community.”

“The Government are taking away things which they’ve been doing for years and years without a thought. They just don’t want to listen and in the end it may lead to militancy. Most of the Government want to keep out of it, said Ms Wingnell.”

Grant Trendall, the owner of popular ‘Trendalls’ in Oundle has a different perspective on the situation. He feels that the Countryside March also tried “to achieve a fairer deal for products such as beef and lamb. I don’t think there is enough money for produce. One issue to be addressed is import duties and whether or not they should be raised. It has become very expensive to be a farmer, including everything they need to use.”
“I still believe that British produce provides the best quality and with that comes accountability, but it’s just too expensive at the moment. I look to provide the best quality at the best price and Britain is not doing that. Instead I am forced to use Brazilian, American and French meats for example.”

Another problem is conglomeration of farms throughout the countryside. The whole farming community is now run by huge companies, which swallow the smaller independent farms as they collapse. Mr Trendall says, “little guys are finding it harder and harder.” However, it is impossible to say whether the Government will listen to what the protesters at the March had to say. Mr Trendall admits that he will be “behind them all the way”.

Yet in this day and age, are individual opinions heard anymore or does the majority always decide the fate of minorities. Don’t minorities have as much right to decide what they want to do themselves as majorities have the right to decide what they want to do? In a recent lecture Robin Page said, “Why not let the countryside decide what they can do instead of imposing the views of the urban areas?”