We’ve had Theresa May’s environment speech – I’m looking forward to Jeremy Corbyn’s now (please).
There are some great advantages that a left-leaning philosophy has over a right-leaning one when it comes to the environment at all times and at these times:
- you can attack the market for failing (which it does) to deliver for the many rather than the few when it comes to the environment – and talk up the role of regulation ‘we won’t let them get away with it!’.
- you can talk about our countryside not their countryside and point out that every single taxpayer (including teachers and nurses) is contributing to agricultural payments and that therefore we all have a stake in a new deal for farming which should also be a new and better deal for the taxpayer.
- you can point to the failure of this administration since 2010 to do much for the environment and say that Labour will finish the job that it started on marine protection (Hilary Benn), climate change (David and Ed Miliband), National Parks (loads of people but most recently John Prescott) etc although this would clearly mean admitting that some old Labour folk did some good – might be a good idea to do that anyway to be honest.
- you can pledge to be the party of the whole country and not just the cities – social issues are no less severe in the countryside than in towns but they are different. Mention rural bus services, lack of broadband, closing rural pubs and garages, rural policing (or lack of it), unemployment and how the Conservative government and Conservative councils have not served the rural population well even if they have served their mates well.
- you can mention the badger cull – is it working? No! Is it good for farming? No! Will Labour fast-track vaccination and end the cull? Yes we will.
- you can move on from fox hunting and plant a new standard in the ground on driven grouse shooting – what other hobby depends on wildlife crime and causes increased flood risk, increased water treatent costs and increased carbon emissions? You can mention that a Labour council has banned grouse shooting and that is just the beginning of what the party would do.
- you can talk as an internationalist rather than a little-Englander and say that here, as elsewhere, that by the strength of our common endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone.
- you can pledge that whether we leave the EU or stay a Labour government will maintain the environmental protection that we have helped to create over many years and that the Tories will never say that because they want to take those protections away from you, just like they want to take labour protection away from you.
- and you, Jeremy, because you do actually believe in this stuff can sound as though you are talking from the heart and not because it is a useful box-ticking exercise which might persuade a few younger people to vote for your party. weave in your allotment somewhere.
Three are some pitfalls for Labour though:
- wildlife conservation is not the same as animal welfare – both are important, both need attention but they are not the same subject so try to get that right.
- the EU is not perfect but is loved by environmentalists for what it has done – so a bit of a tightrope to walk here.
- there are rather few Labour MPs who get this stuff at all which might hamper things a bit – let’s cross that bridge when you come to it.
Well, maybe that will get someone thinking…
[registration_form]
It’s the fundamental mistake that so many people make (including politicians): thinking that only humans matter, and all other living things are just decoration. That’s why we should try not to call nature ‘the environment’ – putting ourselves in the middle. (Environment: that which surrounds something, the context or circumstances in which [the thing which matters] exists.)
On the other hand, maybe that’s the whole point. If we damage the environment (or nature) then we are all impacted and that should cause us (even politicians) some concern.
’social issues are no less severe in the countryside than in towns…’’
You bet — even here in true blue Tory West Sussex.
Will JC tackle the problems of second home ownership and the lack of affordable accommodation in the countryside?
He could also say that what will take 25 years for the tories, he can do in five.
What they plan for, he will legislate for.
But he won’t.
Do labour really not get any funding from the rich? Are there really no shooting Labour peers?
I won’t be holding my breath, but would love to be proved wrong.
Wow, any party signing up to that lot would certainly be worth voting for.
They might even consider working with MPs from other parties on such issues (suppose I’m thinking Caroline Lucas here)?
To add to the catalogue is the failure of Government (successive) is to deliver even reasonable rural broadband, it’s another issue where they and BT are constantly moving the goal posts back, sorry but given the amount of public funding given to BT it’s simply not good enough. 0.256MB – laughable? Alternative is expensive mobile access.
Plastic litter is suffocating the countryside, we have the opportunity to properly address the issue through innovative initiatives to develop plastic alternatives but the oil industry are likely to resist addressing waste disposal / recycling?
Corbyn certainly appears more genuine and sincere than the spin doctors in power so the opportunity to attract rural voters (for example) to Labour is there (hardened killers of wildlife excepted)?
We have here the most corrupt,elitist, dysfunctional, shambolic Tory party that perhaps we have ever seen (and that is saying something and they still won the election) and still Corbyn and labour struggle to land any meaningful blows . He is ,I agree the best we have got (and that tells you a lot re. the lack of real talent in present day politics) and I support his socialist views but lets not kid ourselves he is pretty bloody useless. As for an Environment speech – he’s probably just forgotten.
J Coogan,oh come on don’t be afraid tell us how it really is.
Thanks for that, Mark. It needs to be said (got that Jezza?) and heard far and wide. You almost had me jumping up on my desk shouting “yes! yes!” I agree with your pluses and minuses – there are fewer on the minus side but guess these are significant issues to be addressed. The pluses hit the spot. Have you written to JC and sent him that post?!
Nationalise grouse moors.
SERA Labour’s affiliated environmental campaigning society are very quiet. I would very welcome guest blogs from them and Green LibDems, Green Party or whoever.
Mark – have you considered trying to build support for them or forming your own group to push for environmental (and rural) policies?
“SERA … are very quiet”
Bright Blue ate their homework
The person that runs SERA and there was only one, has moved elsewhere and they haven’t been replaced to date. Their duties are being taken over by the council that oversees SERA however the person who has just left says that they will do this more slowly. I posted this on their discussion forum a week or so ago (https://www.policyforum.labour.org.uk/commissions/environment/ban-driven-grouse-shooting) and have been trying to secure a blog post on this issue, however have not received a response so far. Anyone can post stuff on a SERA policy forum, so I would encourage you all to do so.
I am notconvinced the Labour party will rise to this. I also think the tories 25 year plan is cynical greenwash. Its down to individuals after all John Gummer was a good agicjlture Minister. We need a new approach with new faces. What are you waiting for?!!
Spot on,Mark. The last Labour Government did far more good than anyone – including new old Labour – seem prepared to acknowledge. And a really good policy could knock some holes in what the Tories see as private political territory.
And Labour could go even further and show how a really good environmental policy could save money, increase safety and not even disadvantage the average/ poorer farmer.
But, as you say, the big question is will they ? Do enough understand enough to get it ? Do they even care ?
I just looked to see who Labour’s Shadow Minister for EFRA is. It’s Sue Hayman. She appears to have absolutely no environmental credentials whatsoever. The last one but one, Kerry MacCarthy was Ok, she seemed to have a good knowledge of the subject, but now she’s left the cabinet. And, of course, Barry Gardiner is OK on Hen Harriers, at least.
Wendy – I think you underrate Sue Hayman. But we’ll see.
“absolutely no environmental credentials whatsoever”
She will feel thoroughly at home, then
As a fellow LP member I would similarly like to see them do a bit of a better job of leading on the environment. I am not familiar with the process, or how effective it might be, but I understand you can make policy suggestions or submissions (on DGS?) through the LP’s National Policy Forum. I would consider this myself but I imagine you Mark, would make a better job of it (or maybe you’ve done it already).
PFI is terribly, terribly bad….except in (Labour run) Sheffield it seems. Despite a petition (with over 10,000 signatures) asking for him to intervene not one publicly stated word from Mr Corbyn condemning the Amey contract that is destroying Sheffield’s urban environment. We now have private security guards trying to break pensioners fingers while they peacefully and legally protest, and with South Yorkshire Police looking on and doing nothing despite pleas from those being assaulted. Providing fascists cover their modesty with a red rosette then, it would appear, there will not be a whisper from you Mr Corbyn.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/392913244219104/?ref=direct