So, no ministerial changes in Defra (and no pulse quickening ministerial changes at all in the Conservative reset). It’s a pity that Therese Coffey keeps her job but we must all look forward to the government response to the invisible Jane Griggs’s e-petition in favour of grouse shooting with its claim that birds of prey are ‘over protected and out of balance with natural habitats and species’. This was presumably building on the Defra response to Gavin Gamble’s e-petition which talked about ‘targetted control of problem species’. This is an opportunity for the minister to buckle down and say something sensible. We shall see.
We shall also see what Theresa May thinks about the environment tomorrow – assuming no coughing fits. I wonder where the PM will get her briefing. She is pretty much certain to look and sound less convincing, less passionate and less clever than her Environment Secretary Michael Gove.
Here are some things to look out for:
- is it all about climate change and plastic or does wildlife get a proper mention?
- is it all about the financial value of being green – or is there any moral imperative?
- is there any mention of wildlife crime – and if so is it all about foreigners being naughty?
- will fox hunting get a mention? Or of any other forms of killing things for fun?
- will there be a promise to maintain protection for species and habitats post-Brexit?
- will trees be mentioned and will the impact of HS2?
- will there be an admission of failure over recent years and a pledge to do much better and will the PM praise Michael Gove for his work so far?
- will there be a statement that Defra is one of the most important departments in her government?
We shall see but don’t get your hopes up.
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HS2 has already devastated my local environment. We have lost around one thousand mature trees in Oxford, and a rare colony of bats is threatened with extinction, all because of the convenient new rail supply route for HS2 materials to its 24/7 Central Maintenance Depot at Calvert. Interesting that we were legally prevented from presenting any objections to any HS2 Inquiry, and we were also then legally prevented from mentioning HS2 in any objections to our own local Inquiry. Also interesting is the fact that the “independent expert” used by Oxford City Council to consider our technical arguments just happened to be the very same railway consultancy firm (Arup) being used by HS2 Ltd. It was all a bare-faced stitch-up.
Sadly, did you really expect anything other than a stitch up or rather imposition? We were promised local decisions by the ConDems but when they were contra to state/political funders plans then ministers over-ruled and imposed, but hey …. they say we’re a democracy?
An erstwhile campaigner, sadly no longer with us used to say, follow the money and it’s true. Wealthy, career politicians aren’t in it for the salary & perks but the ‘pay-backs’ and other after lost seat / voters realised term?
Yes, I’m sure there are a few genuine MPs who have no vested interest or personal agendas, but I struggle to name many (hit the dislikes again).
Review and reform is urgently needed of the ‘palace’, Westminster needs to represent people not politics?
Here’s hoping that Mrs May delivers a fandabbydozzy briefing tomorrow, one which delivers for the planet for people not people for profit first? Then I’d be amongst the first to write and congratulate her …..
Do you not find it odd that we’ve not heard a peep out of this Jayne Griggs?! Suspicious, all most as suspicious as the wording of said faux petition!!
Just like the faux countrymen and faux conservationists of the tweed disease which infests our uplands.
Ed – well that’s just the same as whatsisname who allegedly set up the previous e-petition in favour of grouse shooting isn’t it? Does a consistent pattern begin to emerge?
And ‘N’ who sent out the email asking people to sign hasn’t come forward to write his guest log here has he? Does a consistent pattern emerge?
The pattern of faux…..
ed -you really don’t know what you are trying to say do you? Have you signed Jane Griggs”s e-petition, by the way? Or are you a fan of Ed Hutchings’s progressive licensing petiition? Or are you one of the 25,000+ who are asking for a ban?
Mark, I’ll be quite clear just so there’s no confusion. I believe the Griggs petition is a set up. So, no I haven’t and won’t sign it. just as every shooting org has advised.
Ed – can you point me in the direction of the statements by shooting organisations not to sign this e-petition, please? I’d be interested to see them and their rationale?
But just in case you are right – just another example of shooting organisations having very little control of their constituency? Over 14,000 signatures for an e-petition that no-one wants to be signed? I suppose those signatures are all from people who really want grouse shooting to be banned are they?
HS2 is a vanity project initially by some foolish Labour MPs and now the Tory government. All it will do is turn more of the UK into dormitories for jobs are in London, it will result in more jobs moving to London and some pretty horrible habitat devastation in middle England. It is sadly still cheaper to go through good wildlife habitat than through arable farmland despite the relative surfeit of that farmland.
I’m not surprised by the way enquiries around it work but in other countries we call it corruption.
I will not be waiting with baited breath for the words of our very very mediocre PM. I believe Aneurin Bevan used the word that springs into my mind along with the word Tory, and he really meant it and so do I, enough said.
The corruption and the furore surrounding HS2 and railway development under the Coalition Government reached such a state that the senior House of Commons clerk, with whom I was repeatedly trying to petition, committed suicide.
One of my neighbours, so distraught at the way we were treated at the time, tried to commit suicide, but was prevented.
A local employee died in the chaos of construction.
I had to summon the Police to protect my property from Network Rail contractors.
Two people were imprisoned on my evidence.
Google banned my railway mailing list without warning, and banned access to my gmail account without any reason, which required pleas to my MP, my MEPs, and the Information Commissioners Office to get the bans lifted six months later.
At the time it was reported by both the Times and the Guardian that Downing Street and Google were actively swopping Executives, while Google were also convening a series of secret meetings with ‘the movers and shakers’ of British Industry.
Coffey inexplicably seated next to Liddington on the front bench at PMQ’s. Were they REALLY that short of female faces? There, I didn’t even mention her visage……..she can’t help that.
Jenkins and Adonis bandy words over HS2. The “Ayes” should have it
https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/simon-jenkins-vs-andrew-adonis-should-we-scrap-hs2
Excellent list of bullet points to mark her against, thanks Mark.
About her shuffling abilities: when she only has jokers in her deck, it hardly matters.
Mark, I dare say there will be people whom have signed the petition in good faith, but have not read the “more info” bit. Bit suspicious that they’ve clearly pushed the enter bar half a dozen times so full text doesn’t appear. Just says “protect grouse shooting”
As far as statements are concerned, are you a member of guns on pegs?!
Ed – many of those 14,000 signatures came straight after ‘N’ sent out his email but are still coming (as you know). Little evidence from this, from compliance with lead shot laws, from numbers of HH nesting on English grouse moors (let me remind you, that’s zero), that many in shooting community take any notice of the organisations which claim to represent them.
Having said that, not sure that the RSPB represents me either!
Ah, yes The illusive N. I know of a few people who have received the email & it didn’t pass the “sniff test”, their words not mine!
As I’ve said before the whole thing is fishier than fish finger sandwich!
As the government has responded, I would certainly hope Jayne makes herself know soon.
Ed – I think it’s Jane ni=ot Jayne – you must be thinking of someone else – do tell.
Yep, well, after ‘N’ sent out his email the e-petition went from nowhere to 14,000 signatures so your friends are sniffier than many – or just not telling the complete truth.
btw – I like a fish finger sandwich. Nothing wrong with that – plenty wrong with driven grouse shooting and, to be honest, many of its supporters.
Tbh it would be relatively easy to set up. The petition, and the email trail. Bit of a win win scenario. Create a little petition race! (Of which only 1 side is promoting it) Then when signatures start rolling in you can say “look at all these shooters that think there’s too many raptors” ……
Bit to convenient…..
Ed – yes. Think you mean ‘too’ convenient. Also very convemient to have an excuse for a ridiculous petition that is doing quite well in terms of signatures. ‘Nothing to do with me guv – but now you emntion it there obviously is a lot of support for grouse shooting’.
Glad you accept the existence of ‘N’ email these days.