Into the office early for a series of meetings. Today my friend and colleague Neil Parish MP was due to speak to my farming group at Furzebrook Village Hall and we were all looking forward to that. Neil sat on the Efra Select Committee with me during our first term in Parliament in 2010. A farmer himself, and former MEP, he is very knowledgeable and therefore a man much in demand as we leave the EU and the CAP. I'd asked him down to speak to our farmers and of course to take questions. As Chairman of the Efra Select Committee, his job is to hold the Government to account, so that makes him doubly valuable. He arrived at 1520 and the afternoon went on to about 1745, such was the demand for his views. After giving a well-informed and interesting introduction to an attentive audience, Neil took a wide range of questions that covered most matters agricultural. His answers impressed the attendees who said afterwards they felt Neil was on the ball and very much in command of his brief. Of course agriculture is taking more and more of a centre stage as we continue to negotiate our way out of the EU. The EU is a valuable trading partner, although that works both ways. The EU negotiators are making life difficult by being intentionally unhelpful, but I am convinced that common sense and jobs will win through in the end. And, as I express in my column today, the EU is facing challenging times as countries begin to change their minds on the free movement of people. That was always a daft idea and so it is proving. Again, let's hope common sense wins through.