Tag Archives: badgers

Because Barons (and Baronesses) are people too – the Lords hit the web!

house of lordsHaving successfully dipped their toes into the social media pool with their Twitter account, the party’s peers have now launched their very own blog. The site is intended to give an insight into the often overlooked work the group are doing in the second chamber. Because – let’s be honest here – even the most committed of members can be forgiving for not thumbing through Hansard on their morning commute.
 
In the past week alone there have been blog posts from Roger Roberts

Posted in News and Parliament | Also tagged | 2 Comments

The Independent View: Why killing badgers might not be the answer

Dr. Richard Meyer served on the Government Consultative Panel for three years, wrote The Fate of the Badger (Batsford 1986) and worked for a year with WWF. This post is adapted from his submission to Defra as part of the public consultation process on bovine tuberculosis.

The background is briefly that the majority of farmers have long believed that badgers give TB to cattle. I will try to show in plain English why the planned ex-officio cull of badgers by farmers is misguided, uncivilised and dangerous.

Misguided? The most telling evidence is simply historic. On-farm intradermal tuberculin testing (‘Test & Slaughter’) reduced …

Posted in Op-eds and The Independent View | Also tagged | 41 Comments

Opinion: Bovine TB eradication must be science-led

“As part of a package of measures, we will introduce a carefully managed and science-led policy of badger control in areas with high and persistent levels of Bovine Tuberculosis” - The Coalition: Our programme for Government (page 18)

The Government is now consulting on its proposal to introduce badger culling as part of its approach to tackle Bovine TB. This part of the Government’s policy is bound to generate both controversy and impassioned debate.

Last year the Government slaughtered over 25,000 cattle because of TB. The control programme costs £63 million. Yet the situation is getting worse.

There is little doubt – and the …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged | 12 Comments



Recent Comments

  • User AvatarMax Wilkinson 21st May - 8:42pm
    Does the fact that this is classified as an opinion article, rather than a factual piece, suggest that we are confused?
  • User Avatarpaul barker 21st May - 7:46pm
    As Geoffrey Payne points out "The National Polls" Have been fairly good at predicting General Election results - as long as you only look at...
  • User AvatarAlistair 21st May - 7:38pm
    Why stop with marriage, perhaps just as some believe registrars and religious officials should be able to deny weddings, perhaps the same people think its...
  • User AvatarRobert Eggleston 21st May - 7:07pm
    This is all very well but, notwithstanding the fact that many Lib Dem may be entrenched, we seem singularly unable to break out of a...
  • User AvatarLiberal Neil 21st May - 6:51pm
    I'm very proud that a Government of which the Lib Dems are part is brinigng in equal marriage. Those MPs supporting this amendment seem to...