While I was in Israel, our e-petition passed 11,000, 12,000 and 13,000 signatures, and then when I got back last night I watched it click over the 14,000 mark! Brilliant! Thank you everyone.
At present, the leading constituency scores are as follows:
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey 88 signatures – Drew Hendry MP, SNP
Calder Valley 82 signatures – Craig Whittaker MP, CON
North Norfolk 78 signatures – Norman Lamb MP, LIB
Ross, Skye, Lochaber 66 signatures – Ian Blackford MP, SNP
Argyll and Bute 64 signatures – Brendan O’Hara MP, SNP
Stroud 61 signatures – Ian Carmichael MP, CON
Bridgwater and West Somerset 58 signatures – Ian Liddell Grainger MP, CON
Sheffield Hallam 58 signatures – Nick Clegg MP, LIBDEM
Brighton Pavilion 57 signatures – Caroline Lucas MP, GREEN
East Lothian 56 signatures – George Kerevan MP, SNP
Suffolk Coastal 56 signatures – Therese Coffey MP, CON
Skipton and Ripon 56 signatures – Julian Smith MP, CON
High Peak 56 signatures – Andrew Bingham MP, CON
Derbyshire Dales 56 signatures – Patrick McLoughlin MP, CON
Ochil and South Perthshire 55 signatures – Tasmina Ahmad Shaikh MP, SNP
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine 54 signatures – Stuart Blair Donaldson MP, SNP
Edinburgh South 54 signatures – Ian Murray MP, LAB
Penrith and the Border 53 signatures – Rory Stewart MP, CON
Dumfries, Clydesdale and Tweedale 53 signatures – David Mundell MP, CON
Sheffield Central 52 signatures – Paul Blomfield MP, LAB
Totnes 52 signatures – Sarah Wollaston MP, CON
South Cambridgeshire 52 signatures – Heidi Allen MP, CON
Scarborough and Whitby 51 signatures – Robert Goodwill, MP, CON
Westmorland and Lonsdale 50 signatures – Tim Farron MP, LIB, and Liberal leader
That’s an excellent spread of places with Scotland well represented, grouse shooting areas well represented, and Conservative seats well represented.
Please ask your friends to sign our e-petition so that the future of driven grouse shooting is debated in the Westminster parliament by MPs from across the UK.
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I didn’t quite catch the exact moment but the last hold out constituency (Barking) joined the fold at some point yesterday.
Jim – many thanks for keeping an eye on that. They must be Barking!
Yeah it was infuriating to keep going back to the map and there was always that one wee grey spot like a dental carie that just never, ever seemed to go away. Gone at last!
When I ask people to sign i’m just amazed how little explaining needs to be done; general public awareness of the issue seems to have increased massively over the last few months. One thing to watch out for though; it’s very easy come up with the old (closed) petitions when Googling. Add to that the link on your homepage, ‘campaign against driven grouse shooting’, taking you to the last petition and you might be losing people that might otherwise sign. No doubt most are hearing that it’s a new petition (esp. via Facebook and Twitter etc.) but perhaps worth putting a new ‘straight to it’ link up on the homepage?
Jim – good point. Silly me. Done. Thank you.
Also one slightly sour point; how come our neighbours in Sheffield Hallam are beating us by 10 places this time around? All right they have active grouse moors with notorious keepers in there constituency and we don’t, but still, it’s a bally liberty! I’ll do my level best to stoke a local rivalry on this issue.
Is there a flyer available to download with brief details of the petition & its aims. It would be useful to be able to hand out to people who seem interested or put up in community areas? Or is this an old-fashioned idea when people have iPhones etc?
Northern Diver – it’s a good idea. It’s on the list. Thank you.
Mark, Are you able to tell why numbers can go up quite quickly in the odd surge then slow again. If the reasons for the surge could be identified then that could be built upon (or am I wishful thinking).
Bob – it’s usually to do with something happening on social media – I’m guessing that you aren’t very plugged in to that world? But sometimes it is inexplicable to me.
There was a definite strong surge yesterday. We zoomed through the 13,000s with scarcely a pause. I have no explanation but I guess it was the product of a single post or tweet. Mark may be able to say precisely what, but I can’t.
Alan – that was a LACS email to supporters.
You guessed right
I think that the best publicity (unfortunately) that the campaign will get will come periodically from the grouse industry themselves. If they were smart and could see beyond their individual profits they would rein things in a bit for the duration of the petition. Anyone really think they are going to do that? I doubt it, they are still at the ‘laugh at them’ phase, and haven’t comprehended how serious a challenge is being mounted. They still think they are completely above the law and free to keep on making money as they see fit. That, ultimately, will be their downfall.
One thing to watch out for though; I think that in areas where Hen Harriers are being closely monitored this year, the focus may well be on species to which less attention is given. Will there be a spike in incidents involving Goshawk, Peregrine, and Short-eared Owl this year?
Not in Bowland, Jim according to the Raptor Politics blog. There aren’t any Peregrines left:-
“22 Forest of Bowland Peregrine territories confirmed abandoned as of this week.
United Utilities estate:
Trough Bank, (3 alternate sites abandoned)
Burn Fell (3 alternate sites abandoned)
Lythe Fell, (3 alternate sites abandoned)
Langden Head, (2 alternate sites abandoned)
Brennand Fell, (3 alternate sites abandoned)
Bleadale, (3 alternate sites abandoned)
Burnslack Fell, (1 site recorded, used once before being abandoned)
Hareden, (1 site recorded, found abandoned 20th March 2016)
Grindleton Fell. (1 site recorded containing 2 chicks. 1 chick shot. 2nd chick observed on wing one mile from nest) Shoot closed down. No charges brought following police investigation into actions of tenant gamekeeper.
Abbeystead and Littledale:
Threaphaw Fell, (Nesting Ledge Destroyed)
Marshaw Fell, (1 site Nesting Ledge Destroyed, 2 additional sites abandoned)
Hawthornthwaite Fell, (3 additional sites abandoned)
Catshaw Greave, ( site abandoned, traps and grit trays placed close to nests)
Foxdale Beck, (3 alternate sites each abandoned)
Mallowdale Pike, (In 2010, 2 nestlings disappeared, site abandoned ever since)
Tarnbrook Fell, (Nesting Ledge Destroyed prior to 2010)
Bleasdale
Grizedale Fell, (Nesting site on ground burnt out)
Luddock Fell, (Nesting site on ground burnt out)
Bleasdale Moor, (Clutch of 3 eggs disappeared within one day of nest being located 2015, site now abandoned)
Greenback
Greenbank Fell, (3 additional sites abandoned)(Clutches of Eggs disappeared, 2006, 2007, also in 2013, 14. (Site abandoned since single male peregrine disappeared in 2015.)
Cloughton Moor:
Cloughton Quarry, Nesting ledge destroyed 2015, suspected clutch of eggs disappeared in 2014. ( Site found abandoned March 2016)
Cow Ark:
Birket Fell, (Nesting Ledge destroyed in 2010/11 site abandoned)”
Cheers ND, the situation in Bowland is actually what brought the thought to my mind.
There is no proof whatsoever that gamekeepers are to blame.The RSPB say it is down to lack of prey and poor spring weather,and that’s good enough for me.
Trapit – that will be news to the RSPB
Mark,my reply had a hint of sarcasm in it,but I am sure you spotted that . Yes the RSPB know what is wrong in Bowland,but actually saying it how it is ,no ifs and buts,fully backing up the men on the ground seems a step too far.
After initially ,if covertly ,supporting the NWRPG ,and encouraging the collection of data by any means necessary the relationship was soon on the rocks.
The trouble with Bowland,especially when anything controversial needs open discussion,is the elephant in the room. Quite what or who that is can be left open to conjecture.
In March 2014,Terry Pickford published an article in Lancashire Life concerning the parlous state of the districts Peregrine population(this mind you when only seventeen sites had been wiped out) .
Graham Jones RSPB North West Conservation manager replied that many things could influence breeding success,including, weather,food availability,infertility,
Predation ,and last on his list,persecution.
The fact that the rest of Lancashire seemed to be enjoying an unprecedented period of balmy climate,flocks of prey species willing to sacrifice themselves,high fertility in breeding raptors,no known predators of said raptors,and only the odd incident involving pigeon fanciers seems to prove my point.
The members of the North West Raptor Group faced a serious dilemma after their licenses had been withheld by Natural England. In order to keep within the legal framework, nests could only be checked once they were sure the territory had been either abandoned or nesting ledges destroyed. In other words members had to sit on the sidelines allowing gamekeepers to do what they do best.
Terry Who has enough money & power in Bowland & owns Grouse Moors, need I say more! With regards to your licences, I’ve read the story, they don’t like people who speak out. There are rich, powerful people pulling the strings of the little people, the RSPB can’t stand up to them. Now we have a banker running Natural England! I do hope karma comes three fold. I might even take a trip to Pendle Hill.