Charles Moore Charles Moore

What’s the truth about the farmer who fell victim to a media hate-fest?

Flooding in Herefordshire, picture credit: Getty

Have you heard about John Price destroying a stretch of the river Lugg? If not, you have led a sheltered existence. 

This month, Mr Price, who lives in the Luggside farm he was born in 66 years ago, in Kingsland, Herefordshire, has been attacked by the BBC (who ran denunciations of him unnamed), the Wildlife Trust (‘extreme vandalism’), Monty Don (‘it breaks my heart’), the Daily Mirror etc. He is said to have destroyed habitats by dredging, and by laying waste the bank on one side. 

Something about the media unanimity aroused my suspicions, so I followed up. Mr Price, clearly a determined man, has spoken out in the Herefordshire Times. He was only doing the job he was asked to do, he says, and is ready to confront his critics from Natural England, the Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission: ‘They don’t know who they’ve taken on here.

Charles Moore
Written by
Charles Moore

Charles Moore is The Spectator’s chairman.

He is a former editor of the magazine, as well as the Sunday Telegraph and the Daily Telegraph. He became a non-affiliated peer in July 2020.

Topics in this article

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in