Category Archives: Defra

Ten Years on – from Dark Days of Farming to a new Post-CAP future

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Miles King

Reading about yesterday’s launch of the Sustainable Farming Incentive Scheme –  the post-Brexit post-Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) farming support scheme for England we’ve been waiting for these past nearly 5 years – sent me off the archives, where I found … Continue reading →

Posted in Agri-Environment Schemes, Brexit, Common Agricultural Policy, Defra | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Unicorns in Brexitland: Panto seasons starts early this year

Posted on November 21, 2018 by Miles King

What does Christmas mean to you? John Lewis adverts? An excuse for some retail therapy? Religion? Or Pantomimes? It’s a long time since I went to a Christmas pantomime, but they seem to continue to be very popular. This year, … Continue reading →

Posted in Brexit, climate change, Defra, Michael Gove, Natural England | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Michael Gove: his battle with the Truth

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Miles King

  We need to talk about Michael, especially those within the broad environmental sector, to which I belong, though mostly sitting on the sidelines observing these days. Michael is our new Best Friend. Michael promises us all manner of goodies. … Continue reading →

Posted in Brexit, Defra, Michael Gove, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Michael Gove and the American Neoconservatives

Posted on June 19, 2017 by Miles King

Last week I wrote about Michael Gove’s surprise arrival as Secretary of State for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs. There is so much more to write about this, but time is limited and I will not be able to … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Sells, Defra, deregulation, farm subsidies, Michael Gove, neoconservatism, neoliberalism, Policy Exchange, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

General Election Reshuffle sends Gove to Defra.

Posted on June 12, 2017 by Miles King

  I was away in Germany last week looking at how they are restoring Floodplain Meadows in the Region of Hessen. More on that anon. First though, a few thoughts on the election and in particular the rehabilitation of Michael … Continue reading →

Posted in Defra, Stuart Agnew, Tory Party | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

A further peep behind the curtain of Defra’s thinking about Environment and Agriculture after Brexit

Posted on April 28, 2017 by Miles King

Thanks to the impending General Election, Defra has allowed us another peep behind the curtain to show their thinking about the Environment and Agriculture after Brexit. A hastily thrown together response to the House of Lords EU Environment and Energy … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, Brexit, Common Agricultural Policy, Defra, environmental policy | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Time to rename Defra the Ministry of Agriculture and Fieldsports

Posted on April 10, 2017 by Miles King

While all talk of the Greenest Government Ever (anyone remember that?) has been quietly abandoned, another question arises. Is the fieldsports lobby getting unprecedented access to ministers in the Environment department and are the Environment NGOs being squeezed out of … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrea Leadsom, blood sports, countryside alliance, Defra, farming | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

Andrea Leadsom: “farming.. is a bedrock of.. the environment”. Err…

Posted on July 23, 2016 by Miles King

New Defra Secretary of State Andrea Leadsom has sent a statement to Farmers Weekly, the farming newspaper. Although the paper has not published the full statement, here are the quotes it uses: “Nothing is more important than the food we … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, Andrea Leadsom, Defra | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Stewart continues his journey, and it’s Coffey Time at Defra

Posted on July 18, 2016 by Miles King

We now know which ministers will work with Andrea Leadsom at Defra. Rory Stewart, who was apparently punished by David Cameron for disagreeing with him over Afghanistan, has now been rehabilitated. Having served his time at Defra, he is now … Continue reading →

Posted in Defra, dogs, Dredging, flooding, Therese Coffey, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

New head of Defra Andrea Leadsom has already laid out her plans for farm subsidy reform.

Posted on July 15, 2016 by Miles King

The dust is settling following the brutal excision of the Cameron/Osborne cliques from power. One Department has been knocked down, or split asunder – the Department for Energy and Climate Change. Energy has gone to Business and Industry, Climate Change … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrea Leadsom, Defra, farm subsidies, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 25 Comments