CLA names Harry Cotterell as new president

Herefordshire farmer Harry Cotterell promises a down-to-earth approach as incoming president of the Country Land & Business Association. Johann Tasker asks the questions.

What do you bring to the presidency?

Every CLA president brings something different. William, my predecessor was more of a traditional rural estate man. I’m more of a farmer through and through. I eat what I kill and if my farming operation doesn’t go very well, I go quite hungry.

What’s the one thing you hope to achieve during your two years in office?

I would really like to grow our membership. We’ve been gradually declining for a number of years – for no good reason.

The defence of property rights, which is really what we’re all about, becomes more essential every day because there are threats from every direction. It would be really good if we could end my presidency with more members than we started with.

You’re restructuring the way the CLA works in the regions too.

Yes. It’s not a huge – it’s more to do with the emphasis on sales and the way that we service our members. The regional tier of government has changed now and there’s not a huge deal of demand for regional lobbying.

Our branches – and we have a branch in every single country of England and Wales – will become completely paramount and we hope to enable them to do some lobbying work on the ground at a local level.

A stronger local presence?

That’s the point, that’s the purpose, yes.