• Login
  • Register
The Daily Sceptic
No Result
View All Result
  • Articles
  • About
  • Archive
    • ARCHIVE
    • NEWS ROUND-UPS
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Premium
  • Donate
  • Log In
The Daily Sceptic
No Result
View All Result

Is Boris Turning His Back on the Green Agenda?

by Toby Young
12 June 2022 8:00 AM

Please God, let it be true. According to the Sunday Times, the Prime Minister is beginning to row back on ‘Net Zero’. The increasingly woke newspaper clearly regards this as a mortal sin – but, unfortunately, the only instance it offers of Boris’s reverse ferret is a reduction in the money the Government is willing to pay farmers to ‘rewild’ their land. Hardly surprising the Government doesn’t think bribing farmers to grow wildflowers instead of crops is a great idea, given the looming food shortage.

Ministers last year announced a post-Brexit scheme that would pay farmers up to £800 million a year — a third of the farming budget — to transform agricultural land into nature-rich forests, coastal wetlands, peatlands and wildflower meadows.

But the fund, called the landscape recovery scheme, has been quietly slashed to just £50 million over three years, less than 1% of the budget.

The policy change is a significant victory for the farming lobby, which had opposed diverting money from food production.

Government insiders say the conflict in Ukraine has heightened the need to channel more support towards food production rather than large landowners.

The U.K. is hugely reliant on imports, producing roughly 64% of our food, down from 78% in the 1980s.

A new national food strategy, due to be published tomorrow, will confirm a shift in emphasis, saying that land management schemes should reflect “farmer demand”.

Conservation groups last night described the U-turn as a “massive betrayal”. Others suggested a link to the Tiverton and Honiton by-election, due to be held in rural Devon on June 23rd.

Senior figures in Whitehall fear the change is part of a wider paring back of Johnson’s net zero goals.

I blame Brexit.

Worth reading in full.

Tags: Boris JohnsonGreen AgendaNet ZeroRewilding

Donate

We depend on your donations to keep this site going. Please give what you can.

Donate Today

Comment on this Article

You’ll need to set up an account to comment if you don’t already have one. We ask for a minimum donation of £5 if you'd like to make a comment or post in our Forums.

Sign Up
Previous Post

The Jet-Setting Hypocrisy of the Super-Rich Climate Preachers!

Next Post

Cancel Culture is “Beneficial for Social and Racial Justice”, Says Training Course for Academics at 100 U.K. Universities

Subscribe
Login
Notify of
Please log in to comment

To join in with the discussion please make a donation to The Daily Sceptic.

Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.

23 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago

“A new national food strategy, due to be published tomorrow,”

‘New’ as in we haven’t had one since WWII. What a bloody indictment of every government since. Properly sorted this country could virtually feed itself but no let’s implement a ‘programme of carbon capture,’ i.e tree planting on viable farm land so that we can bung the eco loon Windsors more tax payer’s cash.

Last edited 2 years ago by huxleypiggles
65
0
Hugh
Hugh
2 years ago
Reply to  huxleypiggles

By my calculations the country could more than feed itself. I once worked out that if the land was divided equally, a family of four or five would have somewhere over three acres. Admittedly some parts of Britain would be quite difficult to farm. Still, with modern farming methods, I reckon that a quarter of an acre should be more than enough to feed a family (and as I’ve noted before, hydroponic farming could be used at a pinch to produce high yields in a small area). Make no mistake, if we go short, it will be because of a failure of government.

(Actually, I reckoned we could do rather better than feed ourselves. I calculated the world’s population could theoretically be fed from an area of land equal to the Isle of Skye. It would involve 150 stories (at say ten foot per story) and quite a lot of hydroponically grown vegetables on shelves, and then there’s supplying water, minerals, climate control, electricity for lighting etc. I did say theoretically…).

Last edited 2 years ago by Hugh
7
0
Judy Watson
Judy Watson
2 years ago
Reply to  Hugh

I remember reading a long time ago that Uganda could feed the whole of Africa due to it’s fertile land and having two growing seasons per year instead of one.

2
0
ebygum
ebygum
2 years ago

Simple answer…..no….not on your life. We still have a Climate Change LAW that sets the zero green agenda…
in the ‘Telegraph’ over the last couple of days there have been stories of Boris urging farmers to plant more fruit and veg, as opposed to farming animals…and a push to make vegetarian/vegan meals available in Schools and pretty much everywhere…
(As if they haven’t always been available..just don’t eat the meat??)

Its also a WEF agenda (you vill eat ze bugs)…and as we all know they are in charge…..

53
0
Hugh
Hugh
2 years ago
Reply to  ebygum

Still, it would be no bad thing from a health point of view if some people had a little more vegetable in their diet, and they take less land to grow.

Someone mentioned the Inuits, and indeed they were very healthy. I think the thing about them was that they ate natural whole food (and possibly raw?).

As I have said before, I think regenerative farming has a role to play in good health.

6
-3
RW
RW
2 years ago
Reply to  Hugh

In principle, yes. Personally, I think the people who eat nothing but meat are exactly as crazy as those who don’t eat any. OTOH, so-called vegan food is usually industrially produced substitute products lab-conditioned to resemble animal-based products[*] and veganism is really just about selling more of that.

[*] eg, plant-based McDonald’s burgers. This always makes the chuckle as cows are certainly plant-based, hence, they could as well use the label for all of their products.

10
0
Hugh
Hugh
2 years ago
Reply to  RW

I understand they have a lot of soya, which I’ve heard is not particularly healthy.

3
0
RW
RW
2 years ago
Reply to  Hugh

I think the general idea is to take some source of protein and fat, mix this together and then add flavourings, especially, monosodium glutamat. That’s an organic salt which, for instance, occurs naturally in beef, although never in such high concentrations as are usually employed when used as so-called flavour enhancer. That and sugar are the two additives I usually avoid (actually, I never consciously by anything with added glutamat and sometimes, buy something with added sugar, if it really can’t be helped). IMHO, addition the former is always a sign of someone trying to dress up a pig with lipstick.

In the end, this is literally artifical meet (or cheese or whatever), ie, it’s composition is as identical to the natural product as the people who design this stuff believe to be necessary, with the remaining deficiencies basically papered over by adding lots of salt. I’ve sometimes entertained the thought that the people who buy this stuff are simply afraid of anything which just grew out there, without some expert being involved in its production. I mean, look at a cow: It’s hairy and often dirty and eats god only knows what kind of unhygenic green stuff — how can anyone dare to eat something like this?

2
0
NeilParkin
NeilParkin
2 years ago

The whole Green agenda looks to have been dreamed up by junior schoolers. It is weak and counter-productive, it has no nuance, and it clearly bears none of the burden of making sure we have a plentiful supply of cheap food and energy.

I do understand that some people have swallowed the hysterics of climate emergency. As the years drag on, the predictions of the sky falling in are unfulfilled and have become more and more stale and unlikely. Turning up the hysterics to 11 isn’t the solution. At some point, some grown-ups, able to think critically and use a calculator have to take precedence. Its amazing it has taken this long for the sceptics to get a toe-hold.

62
-1
Hugh
Hugh
2 years ago
Reply to  NeilParkin

There is not a serious problem with the long term climate. However there is a problem with people’s health being compromised by some practices of big pharma and big food.

17
0
The old bat
The old bat
2 years ago

As usual with this government it’s too little too late. Fruit trees take years to mature, and as for crops – apart from a few quick growing things like lettuce – the season is already half gone, so there will be no benefit this year. Meanwhile, our wonderful English asparagus (grown less than 20 miles from me) is twice the price of Peruvian asparagus. It’s crazy as well that I could have the utmost difficulty getting a short haul flight to Spain, yet asparagus, which has to be consumed fairly quickly, gets an easy ride in from Peru.
Again too late, but think of all the allotments that have been built over and all the prime farm land lost to solar farms. Every time I drive down to Cornwall there are more and more of these either side of the M5, on some of the richest farmland in England.
If I think too much about all this, I will go mad!

55
0
RW
RW
2 years ago
Reply to  The old bat

Today was the first time I could buy English peas since last year. That’s unusually early: peas are what comes next after asparagus but so far, the first ones for each year always came from Italy. I think that’s an improvement.

🙂

5
0
JohnK
JohnK
2 years ago
Reply to  RW

Some crops are ready early this year, e.g. my broad beans sown in Autumn are about 2 weeks ahead, on account of the mild weather we had over the Winter, in the main. A lot of the plants were nearly ruined by one of the storms, but I got away with it. The plants were taller than they usually are at that time of the year.

5
0
Hugh
Hugh
2 years ago
Reply to  The old bat

Maybe they could set up some polytunnels in those empty Nightingale hospitals…

13
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago
Reply to  The old bat

“Fruit trees.”

Another topic I have espoused for many years. It would appear there is now a mad push to plant millions of trees although our Borough has just chopped down 10,000. The trees had some sort of infection although this did not mean the trees could not be sold to saw mills. Presumably the trees were suffering the woodland equivalent of C1984. And Krankie has chopped down millions in Jockland.

Anyway, the point is, if we are planting millions of trees, to ‘capture’ all that nasty Co2 why are they not fruit trees?We live at a height of 600ft above sea level and apple, plum and cherry trees have no problems. There is even a commercial orchard in Holmfirth producing very good cider. The fruit bounty would have been very helpful given the food shortages that have been manufactured for us.

Oh……

10
0
PhantomOfLiberty
PhantomOfLiberty
2 years ago

I wonder how many civil servants now are former WEF young leaders?

42
-1
RJBassett
RJBassett
2 years ago
Reply to  PhantomOfLiberty

Who else but the government would employ them ?

1
0
sophie123
sophie123
2 years ago

If my friend at the pub is right, and Carrie is having an affair with Zac Goldsmith, that might be the driving force behind this. 😂

22
0
Woodburner
Woodburner
2 years ago

It must be me. No matter how hard I look, all I see is bull.

7
0
haraciomaskus82
haraciomaskus82
2 years ago

Hmm so do you need to pay to comment?

0
0
haraciomaskus82
haraciomaskus82
2 years ago

This is good news.

2
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago
Reply to  haraciomaskus82

Are you referring to the article or ‘pay to comment?’

0
-1
RJBassett
RJBassett
2 years ago

The headline gave me hope, the reality that its about the trivial issue of rewinding, left me in despair.

Boris’s political skills are overrated and he doesn’t see that his only chance of political survival rests with rejecting net zero entirely. I

n a stroke he would reduce everyones energy bills by 30% with the removal of the green taxes. He would lower the cost of petrol and diesel and everything that is transported to shops and restaurants. Ending all of the net zero subsidies would free up room for responsible tax cuts and he would open the door for a manufacturing revival in the UK.

Of course, he will never do this as the luvvie class would hate him for it but they already hate him for Brexit so there is no net loss of support and the new found prosperity in the UK would drown out all of the idiots at the BBC and the Times.

10
0

NEWSLETTER

View today’s newsletter

To receive our latest news in the form of a daily email, enter your details here:

DONATE

PODCAST

In Episode 35 of the Sceptic: Andrew Doyle on Labour’s Grooming Gang Shame, Andrew Orlowski on the India-UK Trade Deal and Canada’s Ignored Covid Vaccine Injuries

by Richard Eldred
9 May 2025
4

LISTED ARTICLES

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

BBC Quietly Edits Question Time After Wrongly ‘Correcting’ Richard Tice on Key Net Zero Claim

9 May 2025

Electric Car Bursts into Flames on Driveway and Engulfs £550,000 Family Home

9 May 2025

News Round-Up

10 May 2025

“I Was a Super Fit Cyclist Until I Had the Moderna Covid Vaccine. What Happened Next Left Me Wishing I Was Dead”

9 May 2025

Ed Miliband’s Housing Energy Plan Will Decimate the Rental Market and Send Rents Spiralling

10 May 2025

News Round-Up

51

BBC Quietly Edits Question Time After Wrongly ‘Correcting’ Richard Tice on Key Net Zero Claim

23

Electric Car Bursts into Flames on Driveway and Engulfs £550,000 Family Home

25

What Does David Lammy Mean by a State?

27

Teenage Girl Banned by the Football Association For Asking Transgender Opponent “Are You a Man?” Wins Appeal With Help of Free Speech Union

16

NHS Nurse “Forced Out for Mocking Trans Flag” to Sue Hospital

10 May 2025

Hugely Influential Covid Vaccine Study Claiming the Jabs Saved Millions of Lives Torn to Shreds in Medical Journal

10 May 2025

Teenage Girl Banned by the Football Association For Asking Transgender Opponent “Are You a Man?” Wins Appeal With Help of Free Speech Union

10 May 2025

Reflections on Empire, Papacy and States

10 May 2025

Ed Miliband’s Housing Energy Plan Will Decimate the Rental Market and Send Rents Spiralling

10 May 2025

POSTS BY DATE

June 2022
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930  
« May   Jul »

SOCIAL LINKS

Free Speech Union
  • Home
  • About us
  • Donate
  • Privacy Policy

Facebook

  • X

Instagram

RSS

Subscribe to our newsletter

© Skeptics Ltd.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Articles
  • About
  • Archive
    • ARCHIVE
    • NEWS ROUND-UPS
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Premium
  • Donate
  • Log In

© Skeptics Ltd.

wpDiscuz
You are going to send email to

Move Comment
Perfecty
Do you wish to receive notifications of new articles?
Notifications preferences