…I can see clearly now the rain has gone! I can see all obstacles in my way… We wish Owen Paterson clear vision for the months ahead. 1. Climate change is real 2. Fixing bovine tb cannot be done by a cull of badgers alone 3. Culling badgers is quite likely to increase the…
Category: THE POLITICS: Ministers, MPs, government policy
Deselection
If I were looking for a couple of Tory MPs to deselect ahead of the next general election then Tim Yeo and Anne Mcintosh would not feature anywhere near the top of the list. Maybe I ought to come up with that list some time. It’s a bit of a coincidence, and a bit of…
Two jokers and a serious view of the Somerset Levels
An account on Twitter (@PaulThomas992) has kept me smiling with its wry look at the Somerset Levels in recent days. Yes, it’s all very serious and I don’t have a flooded house… SOMERSET BIRD NEWS. Early signs that waterlogged Blue Tits and Hedge Sparrows are evolving Dipper-style preen glands SOMERSET LEVELS, latest sightings: Dead Harbour…
The raptor haters? – Lord Tebbit.
The ‘raptor haters?’ is an occasional series of posts about those who slag off raptors. Lord Tebbit was a pilot and therefore could be expected to have empathy with those with mastery of the air. He also has sound environmental transport credentials having recommended that people get on their bikes. How sad then, to discover…
A letter from Rupert
I am grateful to my MP, Andy Sawford, for writing to Defra on my behalf to ask them about the continuing declines in farmland birds. And I am grateful to Lord de Mauley (or Rupert) the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Natural Environment and Science at Defra for his reply. Rupert mentions that this…
Wildlife defence in England – a hollow force?
During his/her annual speech last night the Chief of the Environmental Defence Staff was horribly misquoted as saying; I can understand, completely, that in times of slightly lower national richness we must clobber the environment for all it is worth. I have, of course, no argument with our ‘greenest ever Prime Minister’ on that score. …
Caroline Lucas – Wildlife MP of 2013
Through gaining over 600 of the 1546 votes cast, Caroline Lucas was far and away the choice of readers of this blog as the MP who had done most for wildlife in 2013. Here are a few lessons that might come out of this poll. First place: Caroline Lucas, Green Party, 39% of the votes…
Wildlife MP of 2013 – you choose
Wildlife doesn’t have a vote. If the interests of wildlife are to be served, then those interests need to be voiced by us and by our representatives in the various parliaments around the UK. Here is a list (alphabetical order) of six Westminster MPs who have made an impact on wildlife during 2013. Who would…
Four tories
I was quite shocked by Owen Paterson’s performance on the Today programme on Tuesday in response to the Nature Check report (click here to listen, at 01:34 and 17 seconds). That is, shocked in the sense of outraged rather than surprised. The gist of Paterson’s comments was that the views of the 41 organisations signing…
Wildlife Crime – Westminster Hall debate
Westminster Hall debates are important ways by which Parliament can discuss matters of importance outside the House of Commons chamber. Earlier this month there was a Westminster Hall debate on Wildlife Crime sought by the members of the Environmental Audit Committee to give the Government a nudge after the EAC published their excellent report on…