It’s been a bit odd over the last few months – being on the same side of an argument as David Cameron and George Osborne. My instincts are always to take what they say with a pinch of salt (as pictured right) but the size of the pinch just keeps growing as the Brexit/BRemain debate…
Category: THE POLITICS: Ministers, MPs, government policy
The environmental case for Brexit?
I asked my MP, a leading member of the Vote Leave group, to point me in the direction of a well-argued environmental case for voting for exit from the EU. Mr Pursglove was kind enough to point me in the direction of the Briefing Room on the Vote Leave website. Is that it? Really? In…
Labour voters and Jeremy Corbyn – this is about fairness
Our e-petition calling for an end to driven grouse shooting is whizzing along – but it is gaining least support in urban Labour constituencies (which is ironic since we used to be told that these are the only people who would support it!). If you live in Birmingham, Coventry, Oldham, Manchester, Bradford, Leeds or Leicester,…
Freudian slip minister?
Environment Minister Rory Stewart encourages everyone to visit their nearest National Park or public woodland this Bank Holiday weekend. The minister says: ‘The UK’s National Parks, forests and woodlands are right at the heart of our national identity. These spaces belong to each and every one of us, and I’d challenge anyone visiting to enjoy…
Some of us get to vote a week today
If you live in England and Wales, but not in London or Greater Manchester, you will have the chance to vote for your police and crime commissioner a week today. P&CCs are charged with ensuring effective and efficient policing of a police area. Wildlife crime is part of that role – certainly not the most…
Rory – will you do better this time?
I hope I’m not being too presumptuous in assuming that our e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting is likely to get to 10,000 signatures fairly soon – after all it is already at 9645 signatures. If it gets to 10000 before 1230pm Friday, which looks very likely, then it will have reached that mark on…
Best and worst at Defra – what you think
There have been six secretaries of state at Defra since it came into existence in the wake of the foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001. Defra was born out of the thought that MAFF was too inward-looking and that farming wasn’t that important really but was a bit of a problem. Prime Ministers also…
Liz Truss – why are you suppressing the scientific evidence on lead?
It wouldn’t surprise me if Defra made a shockingly bad decision and failed to reduce the environmental risks of lead ammunition – they have been subject to energetic lobbying from the shooting industry and rather limp pleas from the two environmental NGOs who should be making the running (WWT and RSPB). It is clear that…
Nature Club by E Truss (Senior Prefect) as imagined by Jonathan Wallace
St Margaret’s School (school motto Fides in mercato) Nature Club By E Truss (Senior Prefect) Gosh! Hello everyone! I’d just like to say how thrilled I am to have been put in charge of the school wildlife garden! It’s a great responsibility and I shall do my very best to…
A bit of a round up
five MPs were treated to a day’s shooting by BASC, to the value of £772 each. The five MPs were the chair of the all-party shooting and conservation (ho! ho!) group, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP (Con, Cotswolds), Bill Wiggin MP (Con, North Herefordshire), Sir Edward Garnier (Con, Harborough, former Solicitor General), Graham Brady MP (Con, Altrincham…