Some good news! Richard Benyon MP, the DEFRA minister, has been booted out in today’s Government reshuffle. He now returns to the back benches, presumably with more time to pursue his ‘sporting’ interests on his grouse moor in Scotland and his pheasant shoot estate in Berkshire.
Benyon had been in post at DEFRA for just over three years, with special responsibility for biodiversity and the natural environment, amongst other things (see here).
He is best known to us for being in office when a buzzard ‘management’ trial was sanctioned in 2012 (see here) which DEFRA almost got away with until public opinion forced a speedy government u-turn (see here).
Benyon also refused to criminalise the possession of the banned poison Carbofuran in England (see here) and didn’t see the need to introduce vicarious liability in England, but instead applauded gamekeepers “for the wonderful work they do in providing excellent biodiversity across our countryside” (see here).
Good riddance.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Goodbye and don’t forget to shut the door on the way out.
George Eustice, his replacement and from Cornwall would be used to seeing Buzzards and might just understand that they can co-exist with farmers. Let’s see.
And good riddance.
I wouldn’t go getting too excited just yet. Not until we know who, and how his replacement is going to conduct themselves…..
Indeed – he could be replaced with something worse!!
With that cv would be hard to think of anyone worse…hopefully they got rid of him partly because of his unpopularity over the environment but youd never get an admission like that from politicians!
I saw the news and cheered, so pleased to see the back of that blood thirsty friend of gamekeepers, and destroyer of wildlife.
I’ve looked at the new guy’s profile on They Work for You. So far, nothing exciting, has mentioned environmental things a couple of times, but hasn’t anything wildlife- related as a declared interest. By all accounts, he’s not adverse to voting against the party line, but as a minister collective responsiblity (inasmuch as that still exists) makes me doubt that he’ll oppose the party hierarchy. i’d love to e proven wrong.
Guys, Its never nice when someone loses their job, I’d just like to share my sentiments. Bloody good riddance
That’s great news, he was an extremely biased and dangerous trouble causer to say the least! But, and it’s a big but, will his replacement be any better, or is he just another one of the good old shooting club boys who really has no right to be in charge of the well being of the British countryside and it’s wildlife ???
Hi Gentlemen….Not responding to this post but find no other way of contacting you, perhaps I’ve not tried hard enough.
It seems the Red Grouse and who are M and S suppliers of the said gamebird issue has ‘died a death’. Hope I’m totally incorrect here but….any updates please.
Regards
Pete Woodruff.
[Ed: Hi Pete. Our private email address can be found by clicking the ‘about’ tab, just underneath our masthead. Re: M&S and grouse – we’re waiting to hear from Trading Standards…..]
Raptors, and the environment in general, will now be safer that Benyon has gone. It is early days yet, but the new minister can not be any worse than the environmentally-destructive, raptor-hating Benyon.