Category Archives: Michael Gove
Ofqual Fiasco and Planning revolution point to where the Vote Leave Government gets its ideas
As I watched the A-level results fiasco unfold over the last week – the latest in a long line of shambolic Government u-turns – it got me thinking about how this Government actually decides on what policies it is going … Continue reading
A Tale of Two Speeches – Gramsci, Newts and the Instrumentarians
As we finally reach the point where the first wave of covid19 has effectively passed (excess deaths in the week to the 19th June were the same as the 5 year average – 65000 dead so far), it’s clear that … Continue reading
Why EU laws to stop pets chasing wildlife (and livestock) are not comical.
It’s always tempting, when writing a weekly column, to return over and over again to a well chewed bone called Brexit. And despite Westminster having descended into full-blown Whitehall Farce territory last week, I am going to resist the temptation … Continue reading
Lodge Hill Saved
There was some very unusual good news late last week as Homes England announced that it was no longer pushing for housing development on the protected areas of Lodge Hill – the former military training ground (and munitions works) on … Continue reading
Unicorns in Brexitland: Panto seasons starts early this year
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
First course of Gove’s green Brexit has been placed on the table #agriculturebill
It feels like something momentous has just happened. UK Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, has published his long-awaited Agriculture Bill, the first in a series of laws which will shape the future of Britain’s environment, after Brexit. Leaving the EU means … Continue reading
Vested Interests fight back against Gove’s Green Brexit for farming
Yesterday we returned to the Great Dorset Steam fair for our annual pilgrimage. The ground had dried out a bit following sunday’s deluge, but not enough for the traction engines to trudge around the main ring, which was a small … Continue reading
Will the New Environment Bill be Michael Gove’s golden opportunity, poisoned chalice or a dead duck
Let’s face it, it’s been a pretty disastrous couple of weeks for our Prime Minister Theresa May. After the apparent success of the Chequers Brexit agreement, May has lost two of her most outspoken pro-Brexit ministers, whose departure triggered a … Continue reading
Will Gove get his way, for a toothier Green Watchdog?
The Brexit train continues to head towards the buffers. Today sees the EU Withdrawal Bill (aka The Big Brexit Bill) return to the House of Commons, where MPs will consider what to do with its tattered remains, after it received … Continue reading
We are what we Eat
The old adage “We are what we eat” is only partly true, at best. We eat vegetables but we are not vegetables. Similarly, those of us who eat meat are, in a real sense, meat – but we are not … Continue reading
a new nature blog 