This afternoon, weather permitting, I shall welcome to the Lodge the Shadow Environment Secretary, Maria Eagle MP. She will take the opportunity to outline the Labour Party’s plans for the natural environment. I look forward to hearing what she has to say.
With just 93 days until the general election, we have been encouraging all the political parties to set out how they will address the crisis facing nature in the UK, on the UK’s overseas territories and how they will support global conservation efforts.
To that end, we are inviting the spokespeople of each of the major political parties to the Lodge or one of our nature reserves to set out their agenda for the next five years – the second half of a decade which has been designated the period when we must halt the loss of biodiversity and begin its recovery.
We need all the political parties to take this challenge seriously and it would be healthy for the parties to compete for the best ideas. As a charity it's not our job to advise people how to vote, but it is our role to work constructively with any political party that can further our charitable objectives.
I hope to share the policy proposals contained in Maria Eagle’s speech later today or tomorrow.