The government is going to sell off half the forests in the UK owned by the state and run for the benefit of the public, and the wildlife.
We can expect to see many trees being cut down and use made of the land to create Center Park holiday villages, golf courses, adventure site and commercial logging.
Great! John Major, also in need of money after Mrs Thatcher’s reign tried this too, and it was abandoned after Civil Servants reported that it would be impracticable to do and the public objected to it.
John Major backed down. Cameron won’t, I suspect.
There will be a need to change legislation which currently governs the treatment of "ancient forests" such as the Forest of Dean and Sherwood Forest in England, so that private firms will be able to cut down trees.
Laws governing England's forests were included in the Magna Carta of 1215, and some date back even earlier, so changing them is going to be interesting...for a “conservative” party.
What made me laugh was a quote from someone at the Dept of the Environment, under whose remit this falls: "We are looking to energise our forests by bringing in fresh ideas and investment, and by putting conservation in the hands of local communities."
Energise a forest? WHAT?
No you're not, you nobs. You’re looking to sell it, make money and let them cut the trees down. It will as much of a success as everything else that you do.
We can expect to see many trees being cut down and use made of the land to create Center Park holiday villages, golf courses, adventure site and commercial logging.
Great! John Major, also in need of money after Mrs Thatcher’s reign tried this too, and it was abandoned after Civil Servants reported that it would be impracticable to do and the public objected to it.
John Major backed down. Cameron won’t, I suspect.
There will be a need to change legislation which currently governs the treatment of "ancient forests" such as the Forest of Dean and Sherwood Forest in England, so that private firms will be able to cut down trees.
Laws governing England's forests were included in the Magna Carta of 1215, and some date back even earlier, so changing them is going to be interesting...for a “conservative” party.
What made me laugh was a quote from someone at the Dept of the Environment, under whose remit this falls: "We are looking to energise our forests by bringing in fresh ideas and investment, and by putting conservation in the hands of local communities."
Energise a forest? WHAT?
No you're not, you nobs. You’re looking to sell it, make money and let them cut the trees down. It will as much of a success as everything else that you do.
Pics: A Scottish Forest. Map of Forestry Commission areas
Time for a Row an Pine Fir some Elder berry before we are Syc a more than those Cherryplum Nutmegs in London Plane , not trying to be Poplar but the prats in Westminster are selling the UK to privateers to do as they want. Revolution now we have no choice if we want freedom for all.
ReplyDeleteWhat a tree t it would be to have a revolution.
ReplyDeleteCome back Guy Fawkes. All is forgiven
A quick reminder of what the Tories sold off last time...
ReplyDeleteBritish Petroleum was privatised in stages in October 1979, September 1983 and November 1987; British Aerospace in January 1981 and 1985; the government share in British Sugar in July 1981; Cable and Wireless in November 1981; Amersham International and National Freight Corporation in February 1982; Britoil in November 1982 and August 1985; Associated British Ports in February 1983; Jaguar in July 1984; British Telecom in November 1984; the National Bus Company in October 1986; British Gas in December 1986; British Airways in February 1987; the Royal Ordnance in April 1987; Rolls-Royce in May 1987; the British Airports Authority in July 1987; the Rover Group in August 1988; British Steel in December 1988; the Regional Water Authorities in November 1989; Girobank in July 1990; and the National Grid in December 1990.
In 1983 Thatcher also broke up and privatised British Shipbuilders
Oh and by the way the privatised BT have just won a court case that lumbers the taxpayers with their pension debt should they go bust. Currently running into billions. Other privatised companies are following suit ( maggie didn't ensure the paperwork was done properly when she signed away the crown jewels of British industry)
Yes Ukipper :
ReplyDeleteThe list is scary when you think about the mess that was made of it. And, as you say, the liabilities that we were left with...
Then of course Labour's PFI didn't help.
I wish they would "leave" well alone with the forests.
tris..
ReplyDeleteThere was a programme on tv tonight about our forests. They were mostly planted after WW1 with sitka spruce saplings imported from north America. We ran out of wood during the war so the Forestry Commission was set up to stop it happening again.
The sitka forests are dead zones for any other plants or wildlife so they need sorting out. Not by selling them off to overseas investors though which is what the Tories always do.
Trident missiles use sitka spruce in their nose cones.Not a lot of people know that. Or care ;)
What shrill uber-shit.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'll even bother commenting on this anti-Tory tripe. It sets a new standard by even this blogs standards.
Dean said...
ReplyDelete" I don't think I'll even bother commenting"
We must all be thankful for small mercies.
Well Michael Kipper Caine, I didn't know that... but you're right, i don't much care ;¬))))
ReplyDeleteActually I was very interested in the rest of it. I didn't know (isn't there a lot that I don't know) that the pines were imported from N America. Nor did I know that that was the reason for the Forestry Commission.
You are a fund of information!!
One of the problems about all this privatization is, as you point out, that in 10 years all our forests will be owned by Germany or France, or America, or probably China.
Like the buses and the trains and electricity and gas, and Rover and Rolls Royce and Jaguar and.... OK, I'll stop now before this begins to sound like I'm having a wee go at those nice Tories!
So Dean... you think it's a good idea to sell off the forests so that we can have more tacky holiday villages, belonging to foreign companies?
ReplyDeleteYou know privatization always goes wrong.
Why don't they learn?
Not so much right to roam as nowhere left to roam!
ReplyDeleteDean left speechless by latest privatization ploy by the truly nasty party.
ReplyDeleteGiven how much damage previous tory privatizations have caused, it is no surprise that Dean, lost for words at this latest tory idocy, should run away and hide.
Munguin: I hope it's only Forestry Commission and not Woodland Trust lands. Woodland Trust forests provide me with most of my exercise!
ReplyDeleteI wonder what else they will privatize Dubbieside... I wondering about trying to get a store of air in incase they privatize that.
ReplyDeleteThe SNP has said that they won't sell off the water in Scotland, but will Labour if they get in?
tris said..
ReplyDelete" I wonder what else they will privatize "
Dover is on the list now.
Plus English Heritage, the quango that trousers £140m a year of our taxes, controls photography at Stonehenge and wants a cut of any money you make on your holiday pics . Stonehenge has been there for 4,500 years but they think it belongs to English Heritage.
http://essexhunter.blogspot.com/
Tris
ReplyDeleteI believe that this privatization will only apply to English forests as the Scottish and Welsh forests are devolved.
Can anyone inform me if this is correct?
Still the torys selling off the family silver though. They know the price of everything but the value of nothing.
No Tris the Woodland Trust is a charity founded in 1972 aimed at protecting and managing the UKs native woodland. So the Tories can’t touch it.
ReplyDeleteDubbie..
ReplyDeleteYes you're right. It's a devolved issue..
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-7upd3g
I hope there's no truth in the rumour that the SNP plan to cut down all the trees so that they get more space for their wndmills.
That's good news from both of you Dubbieside and munguin. I really appreciate my walks in woods and forests.
ReplyDeleteYou're right Dubbieside. it appears that labour always leave the finances of the country in a mess, and the Tories leave the social structure of the country in a mess. Roll on Independence!!!!
Dubbie: forestry is indeed a devolved matter. Please see:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.forestry.gov.uk/newsrele.nsf/WebPRByCountryLang/1E79FAC2435729D7802577C6004F89A9
Thanks Munguin.
ReplyDelete