Letter to my MP

Dear Mr Pursglove

Do you remember that e-petition on the parliament website which I have mentioned before? My e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting? Well, it has recently passed 100,000 signatures (with five weeks to go) and so it will be considered by the Petitions Committee on 6 September and is very likely to be tabled for debate.

I don’t know when that debate might be but I thought I’d tell you as you have always said that you would attempt to attend.  In this parliament only 47 e-petitions, out of over 13,000 submitted, have passed the 100,000 signature threshold so rather few MPs and rather few constituents find themselves in the situation in which we find ourselves.

Last year I sent you a copy of my book, Inglorious, on why we should ban driven grouse shooting and after a while you returned it to me – it didn’t look very well thumbed but that’s understandable, MPs are busy people. However, under these current circumstances I would be happy to send you another copy (there is an updated paperback edition just out) for you to read at your leisure.  Would you like one? If so, please let me know to which address I should send it.

I was wondering if you would be prepared to speak in the debate? Although this subject might not seem, at first hand, one of great relevance to Corby, in fact it is of relevance to us all because the management of moorland for intensive grouse shooting increases flood risk (and therefore all of our home insurance costs), increases water treatment costs, increases greenhouse gas emissions, reduces aquatic biodiversity and is underpinned by wildlife crime. It is therefore a societal issue which affects your constituents, and, of course, one of your constituents initiated the e-petition.

I would regard it as a great favour if you were prepared to speak in the debate (if there is one).  I would not seek to embarrass you by asking you to speak in favour of banning driven grouse shooting as I guess that rather few Tories will, but you could speak and make some factual points on the issue which would for ever be enshrined in Hansard under your name. The Countryside Alliance, the Moorland Association, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation and the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust will all, I guess, be briefing MPs against my petition.  I have never been impressed by the accuracy of the views of the shooting community on this matter (and nor is George Monbiot in today’s Guardian).  And so I am asking you whether you would be prepared to put some facts into the debate on the subject of illegal persecution of birds of prey, especially the Hen Harrier?  There is more than enough time for me to brief you and for you to check whether the information I give you is correct – it will be!

Yours sincerely

 

PS While writing this email the e-petition passed 110,000 signatures.

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