Today’s earlier blog post (here) on the hypocrisy of the Scottish Government’s reaction to #Goatgate took a bit of a side swipe at the length of time it’s taking the Scottish Government to introduce regulation, enforcement and accountability to the driven grouse shooting industry.
But here’s a bit of perspective on the matter. At least the Scottish Government is listening to concerns, even though it seems to perpetually cycle through reviews and consultations without actually doing very much.
But as for the Westminster Government – the following says it all:
Dr Therese Coffey MP is the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA). She has special responsibility for the natural environment, including biodiversity.
Shameful wilful blindness, summed up in her one word response.
Raptor Persecution UK 
I’m fairly sure that most of her party believe they have the right person in the job.
It does not stand examination in any realistic way, but she and they do not care what anyone interested in the environment in the UK think. They are also happy that she shows such contempt for those of us who do.
I can think of two words in response to that pathetic excuse for a human being. And she is the UK’s Minister with special responsibility for biodiversity and the natural environment? The UK Government is even more irresponsible than I thought. This explains their condescending, even cruel attitude to those they perceive as the under-belly of society. Thanks Ruth, these people who sanction shooting as a leisure activity are the true corruptions of humanity.
It’s hard to see what point you are trying to make here in regard to Goatgate and grouse moors. Beyond the understandable contempt for the trophy hunters there is no real management, conservation or even welfare issue with their antics. Nicola Sturgeon’s immediate reaction was the same as most people’s but it was just that, an immediate human reaction, and it is pretty obvious that there will be no substantive action. You can’t legislate against bad taste. Action on grouse moors, which can’t be in any way compared to Goatgate reactions, awaits the outcome of the review so it’s hard to understand the criticism of the SG unless RPUK has some advance knowledge of how that is progressing and the SG’s likely response. An independent and authoritative review was always going to be a necessary preliminary. As for Westminster, none of the British parties are going to move an inch on grouse moors.
BSA is the acronym for British Small Arms – I think you should declare your interest.
Birmingham Small Arms actually, but ‘Best Scrap Available’ to some.
Surely we can legislate against bad taste, or we’d be shooting Robins for Xmas?
We could also, just as usefully, search for hairs on the palms of our hands but that would also divert attention from the real task of squeezing sporting estates out of the landscape with regulation that targets their sustainability, or lack of it, and then land reform.
Is this the lady who keeps Roundup in her capacious handbag?
Not much point in picking her out for special criticism. I would not trust a hell of a lot of them, from all parties, to sit the right way round on the toilet.
The SNP will never make progress on conservation until they disinvite Fergus Ewing to the party.
This is deplorable! If only someone (of great foresight and intellect obviously!) had set up a strategically important YouGov petition that on reaching 10,000 signatures would force the government to make an official public response to the request for an extremely overdue independent and comprehensive economic analysis of something which receives public subsidy and, as we see here, significant political support. TM wouldn’t then find it so easy to make such a glib and insulting response. If only…………https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/226109