Green Party blasts ‘deeply untrustworthy’ Gove over comments on wildlife laws

20 June 2017

*Co-leader Jonathan Bartley: “Theresa May should never have allowed a politician with such a terrible record to become environment secretary”

The Green Party has accused newly appointed environment secretary Michael Gove of being ‘deeply untrustworthy’ over his comments on wildlife protection laws.

Gove told BBC’s Farming Today programme yesterday that any Brexit changes to the UK's wildlife laws will increase - not reduce - environmental protection [1].

However, only three months ago, he said Brexit meant wildlife protections laws could scrapped if they held back businesses [2].

In February, the Greens published a report revealing Brexit presented a ‘cocktail of threats’ to the environment [3]. It warned that unless EU legislation on wildlife protection is copied directly into British law the birds, insects, woodland habitats, marine mammals, rivers, farm animals, and fish could all be put at risk. The party has called for an Environment Act to ensure crucial EU regulations are not downgraded in the Brexit process.

Jonathan Bartley, Green Party co-leader, said:

“Gove’s flip flopping on environmental protections exposes his lack of credibility. If Gove is genuine in his intention to enhance wildlife protections then the Green Party welcomes his change of tune, but whether these promises will translate into actions remains to be seen.

“Gove’s comments reveal he is deeply untrustworthy and Theresa May should never have allowed a politician with such a terrible record [4] to become environment secretary. The Green Party will continue stand up for the environment while the Government completely disregard it and instead cosies up to the climate change denier US president.”

Notes:

  1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-40331919
  2. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-eu-regulations-michael-gove-environment-drugs-a7649041.html
  3. https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2017/02/14/report-environment-faces-cocktails-of-threats-from-brexit/
  4. https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2017/06/12/caroline-lucas-gove-unfit-to-be-environment-secretary/

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