Category Archives: badgers

Rearranging the deck chairs on the Natural England Titanic.

Natural England chairs come and go, and today’s publication of the advert inviting applicants to be the next chair, gives me an opportunity to look, once again, at the absolute state of Natural England. Some may feel all I do … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Sells, badgers, countryside alliance, Europe, Habitats Directive, Natural England, SSSis, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Badgers eat Nightingales, according to Dorset MP Richard Drax.

Badgers and their culling found its way back on to the agenda at Westminster yesterday, where a Westminster Hall Debate took place, thanks to the petition led by Simon King (no relation.) You can read the debate here and there … Continue reading

Posted in badgers, Brexit, Nightingales, Richard Drax | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Badger-Cull Roll-Out and Charity Gagging show Government is living in its own Bubble

This week Natural England announced that it had received 29 applications for new badger cull areas, covering the entire south-west of England, extending to Herefordshire Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. Under the beady eye of their masters at Defra, Natural England have … Continue reading

Posted in badgers, Charities campaigning, Institute of Economic Affairs, lobbying, NFU | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

More tales from Natural Capital Wonderland: Woodlands and Badgers

“What’s the economic value of woodlands in the UK? Hmm? Come on, I haven’t got all day. Yes, you at the back there   – £720 Billion you say? That sounds like a made up figure.” An imagined conversation perhaps, but … Continue reading

Posted in badgers, libertarians, Natural Capital, neoliberalism | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Autumn: The Season of Maize and Muddy Rivers

“SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness! Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; Conspiring with him how to load and bless With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run; To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees, And fill all fruit … Continue reading

Posted in badgers, bovine TB, Maize | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

Questions in Parliament: On Badgers, Dairy farms, Hedgehogs and Fewer Farm Inspections

  The first session of Oral Questions to Defra ministers took place on Thursday. You can read through the whole lot here on the excellent “they work for you” website. Reading through the questions and answers, three things jumped out … Continue reading

Posted in agriculture, badgers, Common Agricultural Policy, Dairy farming, Rory Stewart | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

As the Badger sacrifice commences in Dorset, French farmers bay for Wolves blood

As the first badgers are offered up for sacrifice to the farming gods and goddesses in Dorset, news from France: Sheep Farmers have temporarily kidnapped a National Park chief exec to protest at the increasing number of Wolves taking their … Continue reading

Posted in badgers, grazing, uplands, wolves | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Badger Cull Circus comes to Dorset

The badger cull circus is coming to town – well to Dorset anyway. This was the announcement, a not entirely unexpected one, which was dribbled out on the friday before the bank holiday weekend. A piece of news management? It … Continue reading

Posted in agriculture, badgers, bovine TB | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Defra budget takes another hit; farmers worried they may have to pay for the Badger Cull

Defra received a further cut to its budget last week, shaving another £83M off. This is on top of the already planned £200M cut to take place this financial year. The Defra budget has declined by around 25% since 2010, … Continue reading

Posted in badgers, Defra, NFU | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

NFU claims badger cull is working; Defra continue to “revise” their bTB figures, downwards.

It’s good to see that Labour have one clear environmental policy – abandoning the Badger Cull. Huw Irranca-Davies confirmed that this was Labour’s position at the Oxford Farming Conference yesterday. According the Cull-supporting Western Morning News, “Mr Irranca-Davies said it … Continue reading

Posted in badgers, Huw Irranca-Davies, Labour, NFU, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment