What job would you give to someone who used to be a Tory Minister who tried to sell off our forests?
Maybe something away from ruining our natural environment you would hope?
Sadly you would be wrong, they have been added to the board of Natural England!
This is who Natural England are?
We were established by an Act of Parliament in 2006. Our purpose is to help conserve, enhance and manage the natural environment for the benefit of present and future generations, thereby contributing to sustainable development.
This is their vision?
Our vision is ‘Thriving Nature for people and planet’.
We aim to achieve this through our mission ‘Building partnerships for Nature’s recovery’.
Cronyism
Dame Caroline Spelman is the person in question, and her new role has led Labour to accuse the government of ‘cronyism.’
As the former environment secretary she apologised for trying to privatise England’s woodland.
Her plans to change the ownership of 258,000 hectares (637,000 acres) of state-owned woodland in 2011 were slammed and she had to ditch the plans.
She said at the time: “I have taken a decision to end the consultation on the future of the public forest estate and I take full responsibility for that. I am doing so because it is quite clear from the early responses to the consultation that the public and many honourable members are not happy with the proposals we set out.”
Now the shadow environment secretary, Jim McMahon, has raised questions over her appointment. “It appears the conveyor belt of Conservative cronyism is alive and well,” he remarked.
“The decision to appoint the former secretary of state for the environment who attempted to sell off England’s forests to the board of Natural England raises serious questions of judgment from Defra ministers.
“Natural England exists to conserve our natural environment for the benefit of future generations. This flies in the face of somebody who thought it appropriate to sell off some of our most treasured environmental assets.”
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