Three of the UK’s largest wildlife conservation groups have joined together after being infuriated by the government’s ‘U-turn’ on the environment.
The National Trust, RSPB and Wildlife Trusts say they will urge their members – a combined 8,000,000 people – to fight back against government policy.
They say that changes to plans laid out in the Conservative manifesto amount to an ‘attack on nature’.
Government plans to scrap EU protections for nature as well as relax planning laws in ‘investment zones’ and review farm subsidies have all been cited.
‘This is the biggest attack on nature certainly in my lifetime and let alone my career. This is unprecedented – that’s why we are stepping forward with the RSPB and Wildlife Trusts,’ said Hilary McGrady, who runs the National Trust.
‘We choose our battles very carefully – and we don’t do it very often.’
The organisations said they would consider organising a march in London for members to protest the changes.
‘All options are on the table in terms of what comes next,’ said Craig Bennett and Beccy Speight from the RSPB.
â ï¸ð¡Make no mistake, we are angry. This Government has today launched an attack on nature. We donât use the words that follow lightly. We are entering uncharted territory. Please read this thread. 1/13 pic.twitter.com/NAPfIjLZKA
‘This is something we just can’t allow to go forward,’ they told the BBC.
‘Any campaign has lots of tools in the toolbox. We have to prepare to use as many of those tools as will be effective.’
The main cause of concern from the groups is the government’s plan to remove 570 laws derived from EU directives from statue. These laws make up most of the environmental regulations in the UK for things like sewage, air quality and protecting wildlife habitats.
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