Interesting – mentions of climate change near the beginning, of fox hunting too and a passage on a green economy towards the end. Not bad, but if Labour were moving on on environmental issues then maybe a quick mention of the Badger cull would have been the easiest way to signal it. Opportunity missed .
What will Theresa May say in a week’s time?
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fox and cub hunting should be banned and made law also badger cull waist of money just leave them alone
I don’t even want to think about what Queen Theresa will be saying. Brexit, powergrabbing, desecrate the environment, crush the poor. That is probably it.
I do worry that Corbyn might have stalled out though, he’s trying too hard to triangulate the vote over Brexit and not rock the boat too much there, plus he doesn’t seem to be interested in taking the fight into the countryside or bolstering the powers of the devolved institutions, nor creating proper devolved regions in England. That and the continual row over antisemitism…
I don’t know, I just don’t think he is being radical enough any more.
I don’t get the antisemitism thing at all. It seems to be that merely expressing sympathy with the Palestinian cause is enough to get people branded as antisemitic. As I see it, it feels like a wedge issue the right has worked hard to stir up and now exploit.
I agree with the Brexit thing. Labour needs to be bolder and explain how Brexit will harm the country. The impression I have is they are moving this way but only as the poverty of the Tory position becomes clearer. Maybe that’s canny, but hopefully it won’t be too late.
I’d feel more comfortable with Labour if the whole party pulled together, and were seen to pull together. Too much talent has sidelined itself at the moment.
I don’t want to invest too much hope environmentally in Labour for fear of being disappointed – again. I would like a commitment to proper regulation of land management and developing A more naturalistic approach to national parks as has been discussed here recently.
There was not much interest in the content – a case of ticking all the boxes. Hard to argue that this was a progessive speech or that, even remotely, it understood either the need for a new green agenda or that such an agenda could be a political winner. It reminded me of a colleague, years ago who visited a well-known Scottish publisher and returned to say; ” I have seen the past and it works.” The tone is slightly more interesting. It’s very odd in UK politics for the Opposition leader to adopt such a presidential tone. But it’s obviously one they’ve decided suits the leader they have got. Trouble is, it’s fighting the last election: it will not be the same next time.
I think the key thing the Corbynites have recognised – correctly – is that Theresa May and her gang are their strongest allies. It is bizarre that Conservative policies which leave only the 1% safe manage to attract the votes they do – especially as quite a few of the 1% aren’t even voting for them because they are dece3nt enough to realise that others should have a chance.
The Conservatives have been unbelievably sloppy & idle – probably the biggest problem in Government is getting the different bits to work together – the Conservatives have been doing exactly the opposite, especially in the health & social care services and the results are coming home to roost – but not without many people suffering as a result.
Creating a resilient, cost effective environment is supremely about getting the different bits to work together, outcome not sector led – and that is my concern, can Labour do the hard tecky work to achieve what they want and believe in ? Its difficult – the only consolation is there is no prospect whatsoever of the Conservatives coming anywhere near, mired as they are in trying to sell everything off to dodgy outsourcers.
It rather pains me to say it but in my humble opinion the best environmental quote of the week comes from Michael Gove. In relation to the Sheffield tree apocalypse, Mr Gove compared the mass felling of mature street trees to
‘pulling the teeth from a friend’s familiar smile’.
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/michael-gove-calls-for-end-to-bonkers-sheffield-tree-felling-plan-during-visit-to-city-1-8776374
Clearly I share the reservations many others will have about Mr Gove but with that decidedly Churchillian turn of phase, well, I really would feel a might churlish if I didn’t give him a bit of a nod for it! Still (and, to be fair, the analogy with Stalin might be considered just a little too much) but the rather awkward sympathies I now find my self having did bring a quote from that other noted Tory to mind;
‘If Hitler invaded hell I would make at least a favourable reference to the devil in the House of Commons’.
It is naked political opportunism. We shouldn’t give him too many plaudits for it. Keep supporting the policy of ending the tree felling, but do not give any credit to Gove for jumping on a bandwagon when he sees one. He’ll turn on us in the end.
Hey Random. I chose my words carefully (‘I share the reservations’) and I certainly wouldn’t give him ‘too many plaudits’. However, isn’t it just staggeringly embarrassing that Sheffield Labour Party have given him such a golden opportunity to ‘jump on the bandwagon’? As I recently wrote to my MP (Paul Blomfield) isn’t it also staggering that a working class lad who grew up in Sheffield through the Miners Strike and mass steel redundancies has greater respect for, and faith in, the words (whether opportunist or not) of a Tory minister rather than the local Labour Party? But rest assured; my eyes are wide open and I’ll judge his other actions by their own merit. As it stands (the stretch readily already acknowledged above) Stalin is kicking the Devil and i’m more than happy to encourage him to kick the shit as hard as he can.
“However, isn’t it just staggeringly embarrassing that Sheffield Labour Party have given him such a golden opportunity to ‘jump on the bandwagon’? “
Can’t argue with that one. I wish I could, but I can’t 🙁
The Labour Party right now seems determined to shoot itself in the foot at every opportunity. Everytime they face an open goal, they still manage to score an own goal.
But has Michael Gove actually DONE anything yet ? He can afford to say good things knowing he’s never going to have to act on them. I bet he hasn’t questioned the dodgy PFI deals forced on councils like Sheffield by completely unsustainable cuts to LA budgets.
Gushing woman: “May I shake the hand that wrote “Ulysses”?
James Joyce: “Certainly not, Madam. It’s done many things besides …”
Roderick, apparently he is considering looking into the Sheffield AMEY PFI contract. Trust me, I’m not holding my breath and my faith lies, on the contrary, in all those brave souls out on the streets daily stopping trees being felled. However, I’m prepared to reserve judgement for the time being an see what comes of it.