Three UK conservation groups say all options are on the table as they challenge what they describe as a government U-turn on protecting nature.
Hilary McGrady, who runs the National Trust; the chief executive of the Wildlife Trusts, Craig Bennett; and Beccy Speight from the RSPB made their comments in a joint interview with the BBC. They all heavily criticised the government over what they call its “U-turn” on Conservative manifesto promises on the environment. Plans to scrap EU protections for nature, a relaxation of planning laws in new “investment zones”, and the review of environmental farm subsidies were all cited.
It is the first time the leaders of the three groups have formed such a high-profile and outspoken coalition on an issue in this way. The combined membership of the three organisations is eight million.
Mrs McGrady of the National Trust said: “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. We choose our battles very carefully - and we don’t do it very often.”
Mr Bennett said: “At the Wildlife Trusts we are hearing from tens of thousands of our supporters, also from huge numbers of farmers and businesses who are also concerned. This goes right across society.”
While climate action groups like Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil embrace tactics like gluing themselves to roads, members of the National Trust, RSPB and Wildlife Trusts are more often associated with hiking, bird-watching or visiting stately homes than taking direct action. But Mrs Speight of the RSPB and Mr Bennett said they would be prepared to organise a march in London if the government didn’t provide the guarantees they were seeking.
“All options are on the table in terms of what comes next,” said the RSPB head. “This is something we just can’t allow to go forward. Any campaign has lots of tools in the toolbox. We have to prepare to use as many of those tools as will be effective.”
Mrs McGrady said that neither she nor Mr Bennett had been invited to meet the new Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena (1), which she said was “not normal”.
Other major organisations also voicing their anger include the Angling Trust, the Rivers Trust, the Woodland Trust, Wildlife and Countryside Link, along with numerous regional charities.
Blimey … now LT’s really in trouble - there’s a new coalition in town … and they’re wearing boots … 
(1) Previously, under BJ, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Trade. In September 2022, he was appointed as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by Prime Minister Liz Truss. Farmers Weekly noted that he was “relatively unknown” in agriculture and had no direct experience. If fact, his previous experience was as a lobbyist for Lloyds Bank and a local government councillor for Basingstoke.
