Campaign to oust Paterson divides opinion

Environmentalists have dumped dozens of wellington boots on Defra’s doorstep as part of a campaign to oust Owen Paterson.

Friends of the Earth (FoE) activists have attacked Mr Paterson’s record on climate change and called on prime minister David Cameron to “give Owen Paterson the boot” in next week’s Cabinet reshuffle.

They claim Mr Paterson does not accept the science of man-made global warming and has failed to prepare the UK for worsening floods as climate change kicks in.

Read also: In the hot seat: Owen Paterson

FoE climate campaigner Guy Shrubsole said: “It’s simply not credible for a man who doesn’t believe in man-made global warming to be put in charge of protecting the country from climate change.

“Owen Paterson thinks we can all just relax and adapt to climate change. He should try telling that to the thousands of people who had to wade in their wellies through filthy floodwaters during our wettest winter ever.

“Owen Paterson is out of his depth – David Cameron should give him the boot as soon as possible.”

Defra secretary Mr Paterson famously turned up in Somerset during the height of the winter floods without any welly boots.

The wellington boots used in the protest were all cast-offs from the recent Glastonbury festival in Somerset – and they will be given to Festival Reboot, a welly recycling charity.

Mr Paterson has also come under fire from wildlife charities, which argue that culling badgers is ineffective at controlling bovine TB.

Dominic Dyer, CEO of the Badger Trust and policy adviser of Care for the Wild – both prominent anti-cull campaigners – is a long-standing critic of Mr Paterson.

Mr Dyer has accused Mr Paterson of ignoring the Independent Expert Panel’s conclusions on the first year of the badger cull pilot, which found they were ineffective and inhumane.

He said Mr Cameron’s decision to employ Mr Paterson was a gamble that had backfired.

“It’s time we stopped playing politics with our wildlife and brought this disastrous, cruel badger-cull policy to an end for good,” added Mr Dyer.

“The Badger Trust and Care for the Wild have been saying all along: our focus should be on cattle, not badgers, when it comes to reducing the spread of this disease.”

But Mr Paterson has received support from the NFU, CLA and farmers for sticking by his guns over the badger cull.

Gloucestershire farmer David Barton, who has been battling TB on his farm for years, said: “Owen Paterson has had the courage of his convictions to actually try and get a policy through that will tackle TB.

“It is clearly unpopular but it is necessary for farmers like myself and plenty of others who are suffering because of this disease.

“Wildlife control is one of the essential things that needs to be done alongside other measures if we want to eradicate TB.

“Mr Paterson has been very robust. We need more politicians like him who are prepared to stand up for what they believe in.”

However, Oxfordshire livestock farmer Ian Corner, whose herd of Jersey cows recently suffered its first positive TB test, said the jury was out on Mr Paterson and Defra’s overall TB eradication policy.

“I think Defra is really missing a huge point on TB by not testing the badger setts for the disease,” he explained.

“It’s like trying to put out a great big fire with a watering can.

“If there is a TB outbreak on an edge area, they should be testing the badger setts for TB.

“If the badgers are clean, they want leaving alone. But if they aren’t they should be culled out like they do in Ireland. Otherwise it’s a waste of time continually testing our cattle.”

Mr Corner described Defra’s TB eradication policy as a “total cock-up” and said he wasn’t sure if replacing Mr Paterson would make any difference to tackling TB.

“The minister has given some fancy statements on eradicating TB, but I don’t think they have got a cat in hell’s chance with the current policy,” he added.

“What’s the alternative if he (Mr Paterson) goes? It’s just more government policy.”

What do you think? Tell us your views by telephoning the news desk on 020 8652 4905 or emailing philip.case@rbi.co.uk