Tim Farron, Lib Dem MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, is a former party leader and currently the Lib Dem Environment spokesperson and spokesperson for the North of England.
His response to a constituent about the Manifesto for Wildlife is both quick and positive – and also demonstrates that he has at least glanced at its contents. This what he wrote:
Thank you very much for your recent email with regard to the People’s Walk for Wildlife.
Unfortunately, I was tied up with constituency duties last weekend and was not able to attend. I am encouraged by Chris Packham’s manifesto and agree with many of its tenets. Children do need to have more connection with nature. If we can instill in them a love of the outdoors early on, they will be natural protectors of our environment. The planning system must be improved to include greater consideration for wildlife and their ecology. New homes and offices should be built to a code that keeps our environment in mind and we need to hold the Government to account to ensure it follows through on its promises to pursue greener policies.
I am concerned, for instance, that the upcoming Agriculture Bill does not adequately support our wildlife and those who care for it. I am concerned that its ideas are sound on paper but may have many unintended negative consequences.
Thank you very much for sharing your concerns with me. I am glad to hear the Walk was well attended. I am sorry to have missed it.
Please write to your MP (including writing to Tim Farron if he is your MP – just because he has written one reply to a constituent doesn’t mean he can’t write some more) and ask them what they will do to promote the ideas in the Manifesto for Wildlife. All MPs have been sent copies and it is available online too.
Here is some advice and information on how to write to your MP.
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Reply received today from my MP Mark Prisk. Rather vague, and unclear if he has actually read the Manifesto.
“Thank you for your email and for bringing this event to my attention. Unfortunately, due to prior diary restrictions, I was unable to attend the Walk for Wildlife Campaign walk. However, I do support many of the causes it is promoting. Thank you again for taking the time to write to me and for bringing this to my attention.”
It is worth noting that Tim Farron will say whatever he thinks you want to hear. I am pretty sure that his response to someone from the ‘other’ side of the argument would read quite differently.
An example of this can be found in an article he wrote recently in the farming press where he slammed the direction of future farming payments and the phasing out of direct payments to farmers. He will say whatever you want to hear but in practice he has always supported unsustainable, intensive sheep farming.
https://www.newfoodmagazine.com/news/74198/agriculture-bill-brexit-food-production/
It would be good to ask him exactly what he means by: “I am concerned, for instance, that the upcoming Agriculture Bill does not adequately support our wildlife and those who care for it. I am concerned that its ideas are sound on paper but may have many unintended negative consequences”. I suspect he means that he will continue to support intensive sheep production in the uplands.
I would suggest that is exactly what that means. But he won’t spell it out. Same with his support of badger culling. He has, in the near past, lobbied EA and NE to allow dredging on the River Kent SSSI on behalf of farmers. He cares not a jot for wildlife
It might sound positive but I think the reality is that the Lib Dems are in an awful place when it comes to the environment. Tim Farron is their Environment Spokesperson but I see no sign of him siding on environmental protection.
I fear that his concerns for the Agriculture Bill, on those that care for it, will include the grouse shooting industry. The responses I have had back from my Lib Dem MP Alistair Carmichael have not been encouraging. The last reply very much sound like the shooting industry has written his position on Hen Harrier persecution.