Hi,
I hope you all have been following the debate re National Nature Reserve and Forest Commission Sell Off. Well if not, it is damn near done and dusted; its through Parliament and beyond the Lords 2nd Reading; it was not in either Tory or Liberal manifesto and NOT consulted on prior to legislation . Its been rammed through in a fashion that defies the spirit and conventions of our democracy.
38 Degrees deserve a great deal of credit for their petition, which while a bit inaccurate as least put up a bit of resistance, which has been totally lacking from the established nature conservation NGO's ie FoE, RSPB, WWF and Wildlife Trusts; with one notable exception well done Woodland trust. Where an earth have the others been ? Sitting quivering before the Tory Big Society ?
Not a peep re National Nature Reserves; not a petition not a sound from the entire nature conservation movement. These are very finest ecological sites.
As our beleagured ecology sinks below the pressure of industrialisation and the burden of a populous and extravagant humanity do NGO's have the strength to take the weight off the state's responsiibility ? When the FC costs only 10 million a year and the NNR's a drop in the ocean of the CAP state subsidies. In all honesty who is privatising what when the whole of UK agriculture receives European state subsidies to the tune of £3 billion; much of it directly into the pockets of the Tory Landowners that are providing the votes in the Commons and the Lords. Its a dogma driven shuffling of the chairs.
There is one last chance; influence the Liberals and Cross benchers; pick up a pen and write to the Lords; decry the Forest Sell OFF. How can you sell something like The Forest of Dean or the New Forest and put a PRIVATE sign on it. Its PUBLIC and owned by all of us; keep the PRIVATE signs OUT.
This campaign has been fought by a few individuals largely without the support of the highly financed organisations WWF, RSPB, WILDLIFE Trusts etc etc.
WHY IS THEIR SUCH SILENCE ON THIS ? WRITE TO THE LORDS NOW ! THEY HAVE EVERY LEGITIMATE RIGHT TO THROW THIS OUT. IT WAS NOT IN EITHER MANIFESTO. IT HAS BEEN RAMMED WITHOUT CONSULTATION THROUGH PARLIAMENT.
This is the stuff of dictators; be a cause and make arise the Lords, write and defend the principle that legislation is debated in elections from manifestos and then enacted after consultation.
THROW THE SELL OFF OUT.
Peter Plover
The forest sale problem may have ended for now but what scheme will the government come up with next that will affect the countryside?,no way can we drop our guard.
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can
Hi Doggie,
I have also had an email from my MP a Lib Dem who was delighted at the climbdown ! The week previously he had voted against a rethink and called it "Labour propaganda"! I do feel that the key to this now lies on whom is placed on the "Review" Board set up by Caroline Spelling and hope very much that it include pofessional and life long foresters.
Anyway it is very heartening; Jonathan Porrit is calling for the amount spent by the public purse on forests to go up over the next generation from 30p a head to 50p; that would seem sensible for the greenest government ever !
Hi Peter
Nothing appeared yet at this end and I am waiting for any news
Did you write a separate e-mail to associated person?
Need a reminder
Regards
Kathy and Dave
After signing the 38 degrees petition, I received two letters from my MP, who is a Tory. The first letter said how concerned he was over the proposals, had particular interest because of the rural nature of his constituency etc etc. The second letter came the day after the decision to end the proposals, saying how pleased he was that the government had 'listened' to all the feedback from people like myself.
I had clicked on to a web-site that listed all MPs and the way they had voted in this matter, and know for a fact that he voted in favour of the government proposals. How cynical is that? He gave the impression in his first letter that he was sitting on the fence at the least, and in the second, he sounded so up-beat about the decision that if I hadn't checked his vote, I would have thought he had at the very least abstained.
Polititians will always try to turn things to their own advantage, there are very few of them who can be trusted to truly stand up for what they believe to be right.
A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
I'm pleased to say that my MP (Labour) voted FOR saving the forests.
However, despite being a Labour Party member for 30 years, I still agree with Rach's last sentence.
Pipit