It was quite a speech. Quite a long speech in fact - fifty minutes in length. You can read it in full on the Telegraph website (my new favourite newspaper for its campaigning stance on planning reform). And out of the 6,106 words that the Prime Minister spoke, how many did he dedicate to the environment? Erm, I am not sure. It was not a lot. This is what I found:
"This is the new economy we’re building: leading in advanced manufacturing, technology, life sciences, green engineering. Inventing, creating, exporting...
...There’s one more thing. Our businesses need the space to grow – literally. That’s one of the reasons we’re reforming our planning system. It’s hard to blame local people for opposing developments when they get none of the benefits. We’re changing that. If a new manufacturing plant is built in your area – your community keeps the business rates. If new homes get built – you keep the council tax. This is a localist plan from a localist party.
Now I know people are worried about what this means for conservation. Let me tell you: I love our countryside and there’s nothing I would do to put it at risk. But let’s get the balance right. The proportion of land in England that is currently built up is 9 per cent. Yes, 9 per cent. There are businesses out there desperate to expand, to hire thousands of people – but they’re stuck in the mud of our planning system. Of course we’re open to constructive ideas about how to get this right.
But to those who just oppose everything we’re doing, my message is this: Take your arguments down to the job centre. We’ve got to get Britain back to work."
I think that is the Prime Minister reaching out to those that want to see the National Planning Policy Framework redrafted. But, where is the mention of climate change? Of the Government's stated ambitions to "protect wildlife and... restore biodiversity"? Or its own National Ecosystem Assessment which provided a stark critique of business as usual approach to economic growth? Oh well, next year perhaps.
But does it matter if the Prime Minister does not give attention to these issues? I think it does. A leader's speech provides an indication of his or her priorities. Of how they are going to invest their finite political capital. The issues that feature will be a mix of those that flow from personal conviction and those that flow from opinion polls - issues that matter to key parts of the electorate. And the only conclusion we can draw is the environment is not on his or the public's radar at the moment.
So, the RSPB and other organisations whose 8 million members care passionately about the environment can either shrug our shoulders and say "that's life - the economy is in trouble - what can you expect?" Or we reflect, learn and then come up with new ideas to make our case more compelling .
And, of course, that is exactly what we shall do. And if you have any bright ideas about what we should do next, I'd love to hear from you!