The wildlife NGOs prevailed upon a few dozen MPs to act as champions for threatened species in the Westminster parliament (a similar system exists in Holyrood, and quite honestly, seems rather more active there). A list of the Westminster Species Champions can be found here.
Several species champions stood down at the general election: Richard Benyon (Snake’s Head Fritillary), Peter Heaton-Jones (Greater Horseshoe Bat), Nick Herbert (Lapwing), Norman Lamb (Fen Orchid), Claire Perry (Broken-belted Bumblebee) and Caroline Spelman (Willow Tit). The new Conservative MP for North Norfolk is just about the only appropriate choice for the Fen Orchid but as a new MP who knows whther this will get onto his agenda.
Friday’s results provide more species in need of a champion: Little Tern (formerly Anna Turley, Redcar), Cirl Bunting (formerly Sarah Wollaston, Totnes) and Hen Harrier (formerly Angela Smith, Penistone and Stocksbridge who stood for Altrincham and Sale West).
It will be interesting to see who comes forward or is approached to be the species champion for the Hen Harrier in the new parliament. Labour just held on to Sheffield Hallam and the new MP is Olivia Blake. But if you look at the new electoral map of the UK the picture is quite starkly divided with Conservative MPs occupying almost all of the areas where Hen Harriers are most persecuted;
Since nature conservation is a devolved matter it would be a bit odd to have an MP from a Scottish, Northern Ireland or Welsh seat as the Westminster species champion (though not impossible). Most UK Hen Harriers spend their breeding season in SNP Westminster parliamentary seats with decent numbers also from Plaid and LibDem seats (and I am rather hazy about what the split would be between Sinn Fein and DUP in Northern Ireland – sorry!). There are some Welsh Conservative Hen Harriers and some Scottish Conservative Hen Harriers but very few English Hen Harriers of any party and with the loss of Labour’s previous High Peak and Penistone and Stocksbridge constituencies even less chance in the future.
Well, it’s really not the biggest issue facing the political parties after the general election, and certainly not the biggest one facing the Hen Harrier, but finding a convincing appropriate and active species champion for the Hen Harrier in the current Westminster parliament looks rather tricky.
The offer is open for any former MP or any NGO involved with the scheme to write a Guest Blog on the successes of the Westminster species champion role.
[registration_form]
Sadly I see no champions for sphagnum moss. This little green squidgy thing as the critical keystone species for our uplands and peatlands. I know its not pretty, not very colourful, nor is it fast moving and exciting… and its habits leave much to be desired for onlookers and those in search of high thrills …… but we’ll be lost without it and it underpins most of what we hope for in the higher parts of the UK’s landscape.