Green groups’ concern over Owen Paterson record
I was sad to hear that Jim Paice had lost his job. I know little of Owen Paterson – so its useful to share the information from this article with you, which sets out what he stands for.
Environmentalists have expressed fears that the reshuffle makes the government more likely to take decisions against the environment. Former Northern Ireland secretary Owen Paterson has taken over the environment brief from Caroline Spelman.
Green groups are concerned about Mr Paterson’s track record on shale gas and energy subsidies. They also say the removal of Justine Greening could signal a U-turn on building a third runway at Heathrow.
The reshuffle is the first major restructuring since the Conservative-Lib Dem government came to power. Ms Spelman, Conservative MP for Meriden, was made Environment Secretary when the Coalition took office in 2010.
Mr Paterson takes over a portfolio – the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) – with a £2.2bn budget. But it was reported in Conservative Home that he wants to end all energy subsidies and fast-track exploitation of shale gas.
This would shatter any ambition for the UK of keeping to targets for renewables or greenhouse gases. As MP for North Shropshire, he has also campaigned against plans to expand output from Welsh wind farms because of the impact of pylons on the landscape.
And he is in favour of culling badgers. But Mr Paterson was widely praised by environmentalists for his conservation-minded policy paper on fishing whilst shadow fisheries minister from 2003-2005.