A good petition to sign

‘Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to sponsor a comprehensive and independent study into the full economic impacts of driven grouse shooting.’ This petition in Scotland is pushing at an open door – but it is certainly still worth showing that you support it. Please sign it and get your friends…

And after High Peak? Calder Valley and Carmarthen West

I was very pleased to see that High Peak returned to Labour on Friday.  The seat looked winnable, although a bit of a stretch, and clearly it was.  The former Conservative MP, Andrew Bingham, had consistently voted for increasing restrictions on campaigning, against benefit improvements, for cuts in welfare spending, against gay rights, against measures…

The general election and driven grouse shooting

If the Conservatives win, and particularly if they win an increased majority I predict: weakening of site protection post-Brexit (see what Conservative manifesto says) – the fact that SPAs were partly notified because of their raptor populations will become irrelevant; the chance of stopping damaging activities (like building new roads and tracks across blanket bogs,…