FARMER leaders delivered a shattering blow to Mr John Major's government yesterday as Mr Tony Blair accused it of "mindboggling incompetence" in its handling of the BSE crisis.
And the demand for a limited slaughter policy was pushing its way back on to the political agenda last night, despite the government's insistence that additional measures were not called for.
Ministers denied claims by Mr Paddy Ashdown, the Liberal Democrat leader, that they had overruled the Agriculture Minister, Mr Douglas Hogg, who earlier appeared to favour a slaughter policy.
But even as they did, the National Farmers' Union president, Sir David Naish, told them "The events of the past week show that we have gone beyond the stage of relying solely on science. The government must take immediate action because the steps announced so far have failed to restore confidence among consumers and the entire food chain."
An NFU spokesman said the call would not mean the slaughter of additional cattle but the removal from the food chain of the 12,000 to 15,000 older cows sent to abattoirs each week.
Scottish NFU leaders also backed the call for the systematic removal of older cattle from the food chain.
British beef remained on the menu at Buckingham Palace yesterday. However, the armed forces were instructed to provide non beef alternatives and British Airways followed McDonalds, Burger King and Wimpy in banning British beef.
And the Health Secretary, Mr Stephen Dorrell, suffered a roasting on a BBC radio phone up the Labour leader, Mr Tony Blair, rounded on him and the Prime Minister in the Commons.
Mr Major accused Labour or seeking to "undermine confidence" in the agriculture industry. But Mr Blair pressed Mr Major, following Monday's statement, to quantify what the government meant by an "extremely small" risk to beef eaters.
To Labour cheers, Mr Blair demanded "Don't you realise this country expects you, as Prime Minister, to take responsibility?"
Mr Major replied "I would have thought you and your colleagues had done enough damage in the last few days to stop trying to create health scares by inviting responses from ministers that can only come on the basis of scientific advice."
Mr Blair continued Can I, therefore, ask you because this is vital for restoring confidence to quantify the risk from the period 1989 to now, and the period from now onwards, when the risk is `extremely small'. Because without that quantification I don't think confidence will be restored."
Mr Major told Mr Blair "Neither you nor I... has competence to make that particular judgment. That is why we have to rely on the advice we have had from the advisory committee.