The recent scare about a recurrence of foot and mouth in the Thirsk area has reminded us all how important it is to be continuously vigilant. The fact that it was a scare, and not an outbreak, is very good news.

When we stopped getting outbreaks in the autumn of last year the relief, not only in country areas and among farmers but nationally, was almost tangible.

It was like a great black cloud being lifted and the sun coming out. Now spring is just around the corner. The snowdrops and crocuses have cheered the place up and the days are getting longer. Soon the daffodils will be out, just in time for us to forget to buy them for Mother's Day.

Even the antics of the politicians, who have such an impact on our lives, seem a bit easier to bear. I am amused at the notion that road pricing, by use of a sort of 'Black Box' recorder, will charge us extra for using roads at busy times.

When we send our pigs away, the factory does not say send them on Thursday. It says get them here at 10am or whenever and gives us a 30 minute time slot to hit. Deliveries to factories and supermarkets are similarly time limited.

Mr Byers should sort out his warring staff, who do not seem to be able reliably to remember what they have said to each other from one day to the next. Then he can begin to persuade UK industry to reverse the 'just in time' methods of working which have saved them such a lot of money in stock holding costs. Fat chance. What planet are these people on? Most of those who think up the laws have never run anything in their lives where the performance can actually be measured. They couldn't organise a cup of tea with 40 helpers.

There are far too many politicians, local and national, and others pontificating on the way we live our lives. When the systems were set up years ago for representational reasons, communication was far from what it is today. Those of us who care to, can see or hear a news programme almost throughout the day, and that is without subscribing to satellite broadcasting. We can know what is going on, almost from minute to minute. We also know how little notice the politicians, once elected, take of their electorate. There is little wonder people cannot be bothered to vote. Their views are ignored anyway. The devolution of some powers to Scotland and Wales has created a new layer of representatives who deal with matters in those countries. The existing MPs from there still have the power to influence policy in this country. English MPs cannot influence the same issues in Scotland and Wales. This is constitutionally dangerous. Some powers are also being devolved to the English regions. The European Union is also taking significant powers to itself. Are these new, expensive hierarchies really adding value to our lives?

In the real world the influence of a backbench MP is very limited indeed. They become a sort of superior full-time councillor - which is what many of them were - but with much bigger salaries and expense accounts. They ought to take some of the advice they are fond of giving the rest of us and cut their numbers and try to transform Westminster into a lean and fit organisation. On the basis that one should have nothing in one's house that one doesn't know to be useful or believe to be beautiful there wouldn't be many of them left.

Updated: 11:23 Tuesday, March 05, 2002