I've just sent Vince Cable an email and I am asking you to do the same, please.
In a quite breath-taking move, the coalition government has put all environmental regulation up for grabs in the 'Red Tape Challenge'. Potentially this is 'Bye, bye' Wildlife and Countryside Act and 'Bye, bye' Climate Change Act. Surely some mistake, here?
Even to refer to legislation like the Wildlife and Countryside Act as 'red tape' is to belittle the efforts of past nature conservationists and parliamentarians who carefully constructed this legislation which was widely welcomed at the time and whose aims and general thrust have rarely been questioned since.
Now it can't be the case that all existing regulation is perfect, that is very unlikely to be the case, and I can tell you now that it isn't (gasps of amazement). However, to put absolutely everything on the table risks throwing out an awful lot of babies with a few drops of bath water. And the Cabinet Office must know this - that Oliver Letwin is no fool.
Please do act on this - Step up for Nature with the RSPB and make politicians see sense.
Regulation forms an important tool in the conservation kitbox and yet it is generally out of favour with all political parties at the moment. Rather than saying 'No. this is wrong, don't do it' politicians reach for incentives, voluntary initiatives and other weak measures to try to make the world a better place. It's a good job that sensible people passed laws to prevent kids being pushed up chimneys to clean them otherwise would we now face the 'Chimney cleaning operators' voluntary initiative to reduce by a few weeks the average age of young sweeps'?
If you feel as angry and worried about this move as I do then please act - and I see that 38 Degrees is giving you another opportunity to express your views here.
It’s time British countryside folk got back their way of life
The main task of an incoming (non-New Labour) Government is to undo all of the wrong that’s been imposed upon the Nation by New Labour since 1997 – including its anti-rural, tribal, corrupt and divisive legislation imposed upon the countryside – a massive job – and only four years to do it in! And (as ever) it’s had to start with the Economy. It’s in a hurry – there’ll be U-turns – but I fear the lunatic left-wingers may get back in next time ‘round!
New Labour’s decimation of the British countryside was nothing short of ‘cultural cleansing’ – the hunting ban, ‘right to roam’, FMD, bTB, etc – all issues that need addressing.
Let it be clear – New Labour was (still is) opposed to field sports, dismissive of the rights of property, obsessed with the need for more regulation of rural business and agriculture and in the case of some New Labour ministers, hostile to livestock farming itself.
You RSPB guys just want it your way – your way must be the best way – anyone else’s way is wrong – so all 1,000,000 (unthinking) RSPB members should email (oh so easily – ‘just click here’) the Government and tell it that it’s wrong – Mark says so!
Mark - try getting over 400,000 of your UK- wide members to March on London!
The RSPB’s March ( /Stand up) for Nature – what do reckon? 30,000 from the South-East?
Now is the time for all those seeking to represent rural life to take stock and ask themselves whether or not to take the gloves off on certain issues.