I spent the weekend under the flight path of a conservation success story – the red kite.  While warming up for the cricket season in my friend’s Oxfordshire garden, we had, at times five red kites for company.  Up close they are absolutely majestic animals.

It turned my mind to Gateshead where the Lib Dems assembled this weekend for their spring conference.  The last time I was at a spring party conference in Gateshead was before the election in 2005.  Labour were in town that year.  We took time out to show a Number 10 official, Nick Rowley, red kites in the Derwent valley.  He was a birder and political apparatchik.  A useful combination when trying to influence the content of manifestos.  Showing him red kites in all their glory may just have helped him feel more favourable towards environmentally friendly policies. 

It’s been quite a weekend for the Lib Dems.  They seem to have found their voice.  About time too, some may cry. 

Vince Cable's interview with the Guardian and his conference speech challenged the view that regulation is necessarily bad for economic growth. "I am going to confront the old-fashioned negative thinking which says that all government needs to do to generate growth is cut worker and environmental protections, cut taxes on the rich and stroke 'fat cats' until they purr with pleasure. I'm completely repudiating the idea that government has to get out of the way. Government has a positive role to play."

And then the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, seemed to direct his fire at the Chancellor, George Osborne, for suggesting in that now infamous autumn speech that there was a choice to be made between being green and backing growth.

Mr Clegg said: "What a load of rubbish. Going for growth means going green. The race is on to lead the world in clean energy. The new economic powerhouses – China, India, Brazil – are competing.

"So the choice for the UK is simple: wake up, or end up playing catch-up. Going green is not a luxury for the good times. It is the best road out of the bad times.

"Our party is the green party of government. We have always been a green party. And let me tell you this: we always will be a green party because we need an economy fit for the future to pull us out of this economic downturn."

I am pleased. 

For the past ten years, the Liberal Democrats have argued that their was a green thread running through their policies.  They have now been part of the coalition government for two years.  It is time to match their rhetoric with action.  And what better place to start than the Budget in nine days time.

But, despite the more positive noises to come out of Gateshead, and despite my rather obsessive interest in environmental politics, my friend's garden was absolutely the right place to be this weekend.

What did you think of the performance of the Lib Dems this weekend?  Can you think of a better UK conservation success story than the red kite?

It would be great to hear your views.

  • The only thing this government understands is to pander to the super elite from which it comes; the rest is hogwash that they say but do nt believe in their scramble to dismantle the state that they so resent having to contribute to ! Which they have no need of ! Society is for the people !

    Red Kites are the most elegant of birds of prey bar perhaps the Black Shouldered cousin. You were of course watching Viking immigrants rather than British kites 'Barcud'.

  • Thank you Blue Wren and Glossy Ibis.  As Blue Wren says - we'll find out what the coalition is made of next week.  And yes, Glossy Ibis, it is about time I returned to Otmoor.  May or June sounds good...

  • Hmm... still very sceptible about the Lib Dems. Will Nick Clegg stand up and be counted for the green lobby when it comes to a vote or will he back track like he is over the Health service reforms against the main wishes of the party?

    Great that you were in Oxfordshire and seeing the success of the Red kite reintroduction. Next time try to find some time to visit the Otmoor Reserve and see the effects of conservation on a different but still vital scale. Here the local strategy is helping to increase the number of nesting Lapwings and other waders very significantly and it is these small scale efforts that in the end will benefit the wider landscape.

  • I hope you are right that the Lib Dems are "Stepping up for Nature" - not only on the public stage of their own party conference & the pages of the Guardian - but also in their behind closed doors with their coalition Conservative colleagues - and just as importantly - that those Conservatives are actually listening to the Lib Dems. I guess we'll all find out on Budget Day!

    In the meantime, any weekend that includes Red Kites just has to be a good weekend

  • Yes Red Kite a fantastic success,just shows what can happen with less persecution.