You can listen to the one-sided discussion between the NFU and Owen Paterson on the Today programme this morning here (at 0650). We heard from the industry and from a known strong supporter of the agri-industry model. What was needed was a different perspective or some more pointed questions from John Humphrys. ‘Why should the…
Tag: Owen Paterson
Truss’s troubles
Schadenfreude is an unworthy feeling, but the fact that the Germans have a word for it and we do not is entirely to their credit, for it is a common human emotion. I thought we had seen the end of mentions of the hopeless Liz Truss on this blog as she exited to the Ministry…
All change at Defra – not quite
And so we say farewell to Liz Truss and Rory Stewart – both of whom were promoted in Theresa May’s reshuffle. Truss remains in the Cabinet and got the bigger job in Justice (never has a promotion been so unjust) and Rory Stewart is made Minister of State at International Development. Only George Eustice, the…
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…
New Shadow Defra SoS on World at One
The sun was shining yesterday lunch time so I thought I’d go out and pick some blackberries – I’d been in Canterbury on Saturday and then it had rained on Sunday, so the weekend had not been a harvesting opportunity. I think others must have been similarly occupied or put off because the hedgerows were…
Lack of Truss
Yesterday I travelled into London for the launch of a couple of documents by Wildlife and Countryside Link (of which more later). As I walked up the steps of Westminster tube station I felt slightly nostalgic for the days when I used to spend a lot more time in this habitat and as I emerged,…
Time to decide – a voter’s guide
It’s a fascinating general election which has been preceded by a tedious and shallow election campaign. None of the political parties, certainly not the ‘Big Two’, come out of the campaign with much credit. It’s been a ‘heads down’ rather than an ‘eyes up’ campaign, with little analysis, little laying out of political philosophy and…
Cash for questions time
At yesterday evening’s Environmental Any Questions, UKIP was represented by journalist William Cash, son of Bill Cash, former Tory MP. This must have been a tough gig for William but he didn’t flinch from putting us all straight on a few things: ‘the UKIP position on the EU is pretty clear’ – that was quite…
To all green blobs out there
It’s two and a half weeks since Owen Paterson went out with a rant about the Green Blob. It was a fairly remarkable outburst at the time and re-reading it hardly lessens the impact. Paterson’s hatred, for so it seems, for those who devote their lives to the environment is quite shocking. It’s also shocking…
Eats, shoots and leaves – Owen Paterson
When the news of Owen Paterson’s sacking from the Cabinet was announced there was great cheering above and below ground by badgers and friends of badgers alike. It’s unseemly to take pleasure in another’s misfortune but… His term of office at Defra was short and undistinguished – 22 months dominated by floods (where he spoke…