Considering that our e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting is aimed at the Westminster government and refers to England, I am touched that it has 1300+ signatures from the people of Wales, the land of my mother (not my fathers).
All UK residents are entitled to sign the e-petition and so I’d like to encourage everyone from Tenby to Torfaen, and from Anglesey (Ynys Mon) to Aberavon, to add their signatures before the e-petition closes on 21 January.
There isn’t much grouse shooting in Wales these days so it is much more an English and Scottish issue – but we’re all in it together, I say.
I can’t help noticing, yet again, that the rural areas, some of them Plaid Cymru seats, some Conservative and some Labour (and many formerly Liberal) have the most supporters of our e-petition. Mark Williams MP’s Liberal Ceredigion seat is highest of all (81 signatures). It’s not a bunch of townies who are giving this e-petition about a rural land use the most support, it is people who live in the countryside (see map here).
The constituency with the smallest number of signatures (13) is the Rhondda – that hotbed of Tory, land-owning grouse shooters. I can’t help feeling that if we asked the average person in the street in Tonypandy or Maerdy whether they supported grouse shooting then they might just say no. Clearly a failure on my part to get out there and ask – maybe next time. Or maybe we shall see a late surge from the valleys of South Wales joining forces with those from rural mid-Wales and North Wales to help drive home the message to Liz Truss and David Cameron that driven grouse shooting, a hobby for the rich, imposes unacceptable costs* on the many.
So come on Wales – join us in one big push to get this e-petition noticed by the Tory Ministers in Westminster.
Diolch yn fawr iawn!
*higher flood risk, higher water treatment costs, higher greenhouse gas emissions, more damage to protected habitats and more illegal killing of protected wildlife (such as birds of prey).
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Lots of reasons for the Welsh and Scots to sign. Lots of heather in both countries and where would DGS go if it was only banned in England?
How many fathers do you have? 😉
Andy – forefathers I guess! Land of my fathers?
Though presumably your mother did not come from a parthenogenetic line so it could reasonably be described as a land of your fathers 🙂
And there’s me thinking you’d missed an apostrophe!
I should’ve known better – Hen (quite apt in this case) Wlad Fy Nhadau.
Yes. Let’s. Tax the toffs out of grouse shooting . Catch them when they arrive and lend them powerful binocs and give them a good talking to by Garry the vyrnwy peregrine man , and a tour with jan round the heather restoration project at vyrnwy where , for the un initiated , the post war idea of cutting trenches and trying to drain the heaths for ‘ better agricultural productivity ‘ is being reversed by filling them all over with bales made from straw and other materials to slow the drainage.and allow re growth if possible This of course is now needed everywhere on uplands inthe uk ! along with using up to date research to accelerate regarding replanting the appropriate species ( probably deciduous trees forced by ?? Scots pine In Scotland so that the sponges of the uplands will hopefully regenerate all over the uk. Where soils are acid. ,,, not such a problem on limestone of course .. So come on Torya and all you monied business city type bods. Eyes OPEN. Change that mindset … However as a country bod you ARE NOW y at liberty to get recalling the bloody foxes ,with you crossbows ,for fun , if you wish as we are really inundated and I’m fed with my fowl being constantly predated. On our lovely i nherited west Shropshire 90 acres.( which I hope may become hq when the FOUR. First class biology graduate daughters and boyforends help us set in conservation HQ in our restored 1778 malthouse. When they reappear from bird island , s Georgia and Australian bush research and from reserve management and the rothamstead respectively. ….all comers welcome … Fox hunting ( urban and rural ) s. I fear so now re NEEDED. ( not necassarily on horseback but if it makes you old timers happy and is rather is missed in wantage farinddon and Abingdon market place on Boxing Day.( ah and as a go inbicester when the ban happened who was at the frontline of all the distress from kennel maids , pack handlers abattoir workers ..and all the ‘ hunt food chain ‘. Yes. Seen from their perspective and the cultural destruction not good I a very stolid country lie ours ?? And I’m game for a few broken backs and a jolly fine canter or two for the fit to satisfy the tally ho brigade …… And card makers. ( Actaully managed to fall l orf my scraggy nag sue on the one and only aged 11 attempt to hunt , and was screamed at by miss m for hours so traumatised I didn’t ACTAULLY even sit in a nag for at least 10 years after that. ..RIP miss m .. She had awful arthritis for her last years I fear so she got her cumuooance indeed ….. ?. Still screaming and groomingninnheaven tho I guess