Have you spotted that there is going to be a UK general election this June? I bet you have.
This will allow all the political parties to set out their environmental policies so that we can choose between them – in theory. Don’t hold your breath! I will be rather surprised if Labour has any real environmental policies and the Lib Dems won’t have many either. No worry, we can all look at the Conservative Party’s finely crafted pledges for the environment and decide on the basis of whether we like them or not – more badger culling, no restraints on grouse moor management, pathetic progress on marine protected areas around English shores (but, to be fair, some in the UKOTs), no clear view on the way forward for wildlife, no way forward on the future of farming and public support for it.
Hmmm – well, at least the Greens know what they want, and a lot of it is what we want too.
The Green Party ought to relax its dislike of GM in order to clone Caroline Lucas and get her to stand in constituencies all over the country – then we might see some progress.
But on a more parochial matter, it seems unlikely that brood meddling, even as trials, can now go ahead this season as contentious policy matters take a step backwards into the shadows during an election campaign. It remains to be seen if there are any Hen Harriers in England with which to meddle, of course.
And so the action is definitely all in Scotland where we await the review of raptor-tracking which, because it is a Scottish government matter, should be unaffected by general election purdah.
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I wouldn’t bank on your last comment Mark.
At the very minimum Tim Farron pledged a few weeks ago that,on behalf of the liberal democrats, that he would do all he could to ensure that existing EU environmental laws would not be lost Due to the triggering of article 50. (If I was more computer literate I would include a link ) I remember linking you into the libdemvoice post at the time Mark. It was the defining moment for me as a remainer that I would do all I could to help the libdems with their campaigning in the local elections little knowing that a snap general election would be called.
“Have you spotted that there is going to be a UK general election this June? I bet you have.”
Yes, but I’ve been trying not to think about it and avoid the whole thing for the sake of my mental health. It is a very depressing time right now.
I understand where you are coming from Random22, I had been feeling the same, but then it dawned on me that this was exactly the response that May and her cohort were hoping to elicit from a fair proportion of the electorate. I’ve subsequently thrown myself into helping oust a local sitting Tory MP (in an adjacent constituency) and supporting the excellent Lib Dem candidate Lisa Smart.
Being on the front foot, getting out there and feeling at the end of everyday that you’ve at least tried to do something to help stop this utter madness is proving beneficial to my mental health. Whatever happens at this election, I’ll be damned if I’m going to allow myself to feel as guilty and ashamed at my own inaction as I did on the 24th June 2016.
That is the way I feel very therapeutic to do what I can to oust a Tory
For those of us in Wales, Natur Cymru wrote with some questions to Plaid Cymru, the Wales Green Party, The Welsh Conservative Party, Welsh Labour Party, UKIP and the Welsh Liberal Democrats. The answers can be seen here http://naturcymru.org.uk/political-party-views-on-environment-2016/ but it’s fair to say that overall, Plaid and the Welsh Greens provided the most detailed and pro-environment answers, whilst UKIP did not respond at all.
For those like me who may be feeling frustrated and powerless please see:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19_yf4RL133fBKscvSbID4eRKwztzY9KSI_2BMaI1bU8/htmlview?usp=embed_facebook&sle=true#
and
https://www.gofundme.com/whats-best-for-britain
Never give up…..
Given the seriousness of Climate Change as a threat to the existence of humans on the planet, it amazed me during the last General Election that it was hardly mentioned at all. Not even the Greens talked about it, well at least not in the TV debate. I’d be very surprised if Climate Change or environmental/wildlife issues are raised by any of the main political parties. The Tories don’t care or are downright hostile, the Lib Dems are only interested in the EU, as a subject it doesn’t appeal to a wide range of Labour voters so the party doesn’t show much interest, the SNP are only interested in independence and as for UKIP, don’t get me started. The Greens should be the natural home for these issues but they didn’t even stand the last time in my area.