Tag Archives: Defra
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
Michael Gove: his battle with the Truth
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
Michael Gove and the American Neoconservatives
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
General Election Reshuffle sends Gove to Defra.
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
Recycle and Re-use: Andrea Leadsom has nothing new to say about the Environment, Food or Farming.
Secretary of State for the Environment Andrea Leadsom, like so many of her Cabinet colleagues, has been missing from this General Election campaign. It’s all been about the PM as President, President May. Leadsom did surface briefly on Monday to … Continue reading
A further peep behind the curtain of Defra’s thinking about Environment and Agriculture after Brexit
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
Time to rename Defra the Ministry of Agriculture and Fieldsports
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
Jam Tomorrow
Feeling rather sorry for myself for having succumbed to, what for me is a nasty cold (verging on man flu), I was restricted yesterday to watching the Tory Party Conference. What gems and treasures lay strewn across its shiny (though … Continue reading
Stewart continues his journey, and it’s Coffey Time at Defra
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
New head of Defra Andrea Leadsom has already laid out her plans for farm subsidy reform.
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
a new nature blog 