Government drone dismisses beekeeping

Has no-one ever told the UK Labour Party Chairman Ian McCartney about the birds and the bees? He doesn't seem to understand the importance of the contribution of bees to the UK economy. In criticising the Liberal Democrats on their spending plans he singled out beekeeping as something which is undeserving of support:

“From uncosted commitments on pensions to promises on bee-keeping, there is not an area where the Liberal Democrats have not called for more spending.”

The Labour Party even thinks this is a clever soundbite and has publicised his quote on their website.

Mr McCartney seems not to understand that bees contribute hugely to the British economy by pollinating agricultural crops. Without a healthy bee population, agricultural productivity would fall. A political party promoting beekeeping makes sound economic sense to me. I suggest Mr McCartney's beekeeping constituents in Makerfield put him right.

Don't leave us Tam Dalyell! New Labour clearly doesn't understand bees.

Incidentally, it's not the first time, Mr McCartney has spoken of senior citizens and bees in the same breath:

“Put simply, we older people are the bees knees — and this has been recognised by the Government,” he told an Age Concern conference on 2001.