A fairly sensible response from Defra is now beginning to find its way back to MPs and their constituents. Here, below is one sent me by a reader of this blog and I had a very similar letter at the weekend too. Those of you who have written to your MPs and not taken their…
Category: Uncategorized
This week
It’s a busy week. I’m giving a talk to the mid-Norfolk Wildlife Trust group on Tuesday evening – see you there? Maybe I’ll fit in a bit of birding on the way there but I’ll be back home late and then up early for an early train from Wellingborough station to the High Court. I…
In a week’s time – how will I feel?
In a week’s time our judicial review hearing will be over and we will be guessing what the judge made of it. At the moment we are guessing who the judge will be and we may not hear until the day before the hearing. We are also guessing as to exactly the format of the…
Just asking…
Yesterday’s blog on the rather mindless comments of the NFU to the proposal to reintroduce White-tailed Eagles to the Isle of Wight attracted a lot of good comments. Thank you! And of course I agree that any such proposal needs proper evaluation and that should include public consultation with a wide range of people. How…
NE Chair breaks ranks and calls for Vicarious Liability
Giving evidence to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee this morning, the outgoing Chair of Natural England, Andrew Sells, said that he, personally (ie not as NE Chair), favoured the introduction of vicarious liability for wildlife crimes. He added that he was surprised that Defra had ruled it out. Mr Sells did not have…
An encounter – briefly
I was at Cheltenham racecourse on Saturday – a delightful afternoon with friends but not a profitable visit. A large part of my enjoyment of racing is the journey to and from the racecourse. The trip to Cheltenham through the Cotswolds was lit up with autumn colours, and the beechwoods before Adlestrop, still copper-gold in…
Access and Influence at New Networks
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I was at the New Networks for Nature meeting on Friday last week – from what I experienced it was a highly successful event. This was the 10th such event which brings together a new network – that of artists and scientists, conservationists and politicians, old codgers and young students. I have to admit that…
NE compliance with information requests
Dear NE Thank you for your response on 12 November to my email of 2 November which you have chosen to treat as a complaint. Your response is detailed and clear, but still unsatisfactory and so I wish this matter to be escalated to the next stage, Stage 2, with this email now forming part…
Same old templates
I think I might have been too kind to Conservative MPs over their standard responses to our letters about the People’s Walk for Wildlife (I know, it is a bad failing, but I admit it). I see from this example sent to me by a reader of this blog… …that almost the same letter was…
Peter Melchett memorial – 7 December
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A memorial celebration for the life of Peter Melchett will be held at the Royal Geographic Society, 1 Kensington Gore at 10am on Friday 7 December. Register here. Have a look at the Celebrating Peter website which is full of information and lovely stories.