Black labradors, pubs and Defra: why your email to the gamebird review matters

Last week, BASC and the Angling Trust hosted a rural reception at the Labour conference in Liverpool, as we have done jointly for many years.

At our event, Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, the Government’s recently appointed ‘Nature Minister’, described a Britain of warm ale, black labradors and country pubs as a “far-right nostalgic vision” that “never really existed”. Her comments have since been widely reported in the national press and across social media.

The minister’s words were poorly judged – BASC and rural communities completely reject the picture of the countryside they painted. The response on social media from people from all walks of life makes that clear. The minister went on to social media last week to clarify that she did not actually consider country pubs or black labs “far right”.

As a Shooting Times reader, you know better than anyone the reality of our countryside – where game shooting supports thousands of jobs, brings trade to rural pubs and businesses through the winter, and funds conservation on a huge scale. Working dogs, including plenty of black labs, are part of that life. None of it belongs to any one political party.

BASC has a long history of working with governments of all colours. Despite our disagreement over the minister’s original comments, we have a responsibility to keep engaging. We have invited her to spend a day with us in the field to see rural life as it really is.

What the Prime Minister and Defra said at conference

Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s conference speech was less dramatic for our sector; there was no mention of the countryside, farming, angling or shooting. Given all that has happened this year, such omissions might be considered a concern, but the door remains open for ongoing dialogue with Number 10.

Environment Secretary Angela Eagle, the top minister at Defra, talked about a 25-year roadmap for farming. At our rural reception at last year’s Labour conference the minister said she was in ‘listening mode’.

Be the voice of shooting

Who will Defra hear from during its call for evidence on the positive and negative impacts of gamebird rearing, release and shooting in England? Will it be the voices of Wild Justice supporters, who are being urged to respond, or will it be your real lived experiences?

By this time last week, BASC had received copies of more than 3,000 emails sent to Defra by people sharing their experiences of game shooting. There are around 300,000 people involved in game shooting in this country. The window of opportunity closes on 1 November.

You do not need to live in England to email Defra. If you shoot, beat, pick up, work, run a business, or are otherwise involved in game shooting in England, your voice counts. Feel free to mention how your involvement in game shooting supports local pubs and the exercise and joy you get from working your black labs…

Please spread the word

With the pheasant season underway, the chatter in shoot rooms, Gun buses, 4x4s and beaters’ wagons will carry on as it always has. However, this year, there is an important extra conversation to be sparked: I have emailed Defra – have you?

Please tell people to visit the BASC website, where they will find all the information needed to email Defra by 1 November.

You can change the course of Defra’s review by emailing gamebirds@defra.gov.uk with your experiences of game shooting in England. Please copy me in at conor.ogorman@basc.org.uk and I may be in touch about using some of your submission to encourage others to get involved.

Dr Conor O’Gorman is BASC’s head of policy and campaigns. He has over 25 years of experience in conservation and land management and a keen interest in wild grey partridges.