After writing and publishing my book Passport To Brexit. I’m pretty tired of hearing the same arguments against those who still wish to try and stop it. To call the whole thing off. These arguments include the ‘just get on with it’ to the “conspiracy of the Europe against the will of the voting English people”. With regards to tangible, positive benefits for all the people currently in the UK, there is nothing at all at all I can see of worth in leaving the E.U.
Here I’d like to go beyond my personal feelings, and moanings, and take a look at the environmental impact, and the effect on animal welfare, after Brexit. Spoiler alert, it’s not good.
The catastrophic erosion of the last remnants of the natural landscape across the UK, adds insult to injury, and will only become worse due to loss of membership in many European standards and protections agencies. If you think it’s bad that houses are being built on a natue reserve just you wait a few years.
I’ll refrain naming political parties, and councillors, and instead state that for me, generally, the disaster vulture capitalism and the sordid privatisation of once public land / buildings / spaces is a crime against god, as well as a crime against the people, and the natural environment, and wildlife and the animals.
I wish I had better news for you, a song or something funny, but no. Today I deliver some brutal ugly truths. If indeed it goes ahead, Brexit will ensure that planning permissions and regulations stay lose, fast, cheap, chaotic. I suspect it wil ensure that the stage is set with confusion, and so best suited for backhanders, secret deals, handshakes and lots and lots of capital investment.
These news items outline my concerns.
–Steve Fly
“Britain could be left with gaping holes in environmental laws allowing polluters to go unpunished and depriving wildlife of vital protection after Brexit, MPs warn in a new report.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-latest-environment-air-pollution-wildlife-caroline-lucas-mary-creagh-eu-laws-a8619151.html“This is only one of many environmental concerns, given that the EU has governed most areas of British environmental law for two decades. Questions have been raised over whether the U.K. would continue rules on species and habitat protection, water and air quality, food safety and pollution – all of which has been governed at EU level.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davekeating/2018/10/17/as-no-deal-brexit-looms-environmentalists-panic/#40dc658e36c6
“Packham, who recently took part in the People’s Walk For Wildlife to highlight the huge decline in certain species’ numbers, told Radio Times magazine: “European legislation has been enormously valuable to us in terms of things like the Birds Directive and Habitats Directive (that) protect habitat and species in the UK.
“Secondly, we talk about the missing millions in terms of birds in our countryside, we’re about to entertain the missing millions in terms of funding….“NGOs like the RSPB are going to be millions of pounds short of funding they would have got from Europe.”
https://www.irishnews.com/magazine/entertainment/2018/10/08/news/brexit-is-a-headache-says-springwatch-star-chris-packham-1453317/“RSPCA Head of Public Affairs, David Bowles said: “The biggest risk to animal welfare post-Brexit would be the wrong kind of trade deal – or no trade deal at all. Ensuring animal products that are imported to the UK meet our high welfare standards must be a priority not just for animal welfare reasons but also to protect the integrity of UK food and the commercial viability of UK farming.
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/40451/expert-panel-warns-that-brexit-trade-deals-may-be-the-biggest-risk-to-high-animal-welfare/
DEEP SCRATCH (REMIX) 