The EU Common Agricultural Policy was negotiated by conservatives to feathernest their landowning supporters at the expense of rural communities and small farmers. Reform of the CAP this week, did little to change all that, writes Michael Walker co editor of the Country Standard. Go to the CS blogspot to find comment and analysis of the CAP.

A meeting convened by RMT at Tolpuddle, included speakers from the London School of Economics and the Teachers' Federation in Australia, who analysed the threat of EU-sponsored movement of labour directed at conditions, wages and union organisation in Britain. Here, Brian Denny of No2EU-Yes to Democracy campaign analyses 'Mode 4'.

Read more: MODE 4: EU Pushes bonded labour

 You can tell a lot about the political situation  in a country by the popularity of certain words, writes rural journalist and anti cuts campaigner John Tyler.

Read more: Wanted – countryside movement for AWB and against cuts