8 hours ago
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White-tailed eagles, pine martens and beavers will be released across England before the May elections as the Labour government attempts to staunch the flow of nature-loving voters to the Green party.
Plans to reintroduce these lost species to the country have been mooted for years, but the previous Conservative government failed to get them over the line after opposition from landowners and its own MPs.
Emma Reynolds, the environment secretary, is understood to have told the regulator Natural England to dust off these plans and expedite them so there is a flood of good nature news before the polls open.
Nature lovers have been disappointed by the Labour government, after the prime minister, Keir Starmer, and his chancellor, Rachel Reeves, made disparaging comments about bats, newts, spiders and snails, and passed legislation that allows building on important habitats. The government has also cut nature funding for farmers and been accused by nature groups of prioritising economic growth over nature.
Voters have lost confidence in Labour’s ability to deliver for nature, according to polling. Luke Tryl, the director of the campaign group More in Common UK, said: “Britons desperately want more houses, but pitching development so strongly in opposition falls squarely on the wrong side of public opinion. Labour needs to avoid becoming seen as the anti-nature party – a branding that would threaten not just plans to build more homes and create more infrastructure, but also potentially undermine support for net zero and plans to invest in renewables, too, to the benefit of parties like Reform UK who might seek to put a wedge between nature and climate.”
Polling from his organisation conducted for the Guardian found the natural environment ranks relatively highly as a priority for Labour defectors, with almost a quarter (24%) saying it should be one of the government’s top three priorities. Seventy-two per cent of Labour’s defectors say most politicians are out of touch with their views on nature, compared with 53% of Labour’s remaining voters. Half (49%) say they want more access to nature and green spaces, compared with 36% of the general public.
Government sources said Downing Street had instructed Defra to enact some positive nature policies.
For one such positive announcement, Reynolds hopes to be present at the release of white-tailed eagles in Exmoor next month. The country’s largest bird of prey has been reintroduced successfully on the Isle of Wight after having been hunted to extinction in England in the 18th century by landowners concerned they might kill game birds.
The plans are so last-minute that sources at the Roy Dennis Foundation, which oversees the reintroduction of these birds, say the licence has not yet been granted and they have had little information from the government about its plans. Natural England, however, confirmed the release is to go ahead.
While Conservative environment secretaries worked on plans to reintroduce these birds, they hit hurdles. Chris Loder, a former Conservative MP for West Dorset, vehemently opposed the reintroduction of the eagles. An attempt to reintroduce the raptors in Norfolk is understood to have gone awry after local aristocrats complained they might scare off the pheasants they liked to shoot.
Similarly, nature charities were surprised and delighted earlier this month when they were abruptly informed by Natural England that they were able to release beavers on their land, with a week’s notice.
The National Trust and Wildlife Trusts waited a year after the government announced it would allow beaver releases. Earlier this month, they released the large rodents on their land in Somerset and Cornwall. It is understood Reynolds gave the go-ahead as part of a push for good nature news before the local elections.
Pine martens have recently been let loose on Exmoor. They are a member of the mustelid family along with stoats, weasels, polecats, badgers and otters, and were hunted to extinction in England in the early 20th century. The predators protect forests by preying on invasive grey squirrels, which are slower and fatter than their native red counterparts and are therefore ideal prey. Reynolds is understood to have asked Natural England where further releases could be quickly approved.
Tryl said: “A raft of pro-nature policies on rewilding and improving access to nature and green spaces could help to convince voters that it is possible to take an approach that is win-win for homes and the environment.”
Reynolds said: “These efforts help to protect biodiversity and support a healthy natural environment. We will continue collaborating with partners to expand responsible species reintroductions and strengthen nature recovery in the years ahead.”
Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green party, told the Guardian: “Labour are clearly flailing. They’ve absolutely blown it and are haemorrhaging support to the Greens. They’ve shown voters where their priorities lie: giving big developers a blank cheque to bulldoze over communities and our natural world in order to make a profit.
“Window dressing policies won’t change the fact that time and time again this Labour government has let down everyone who cares about our natural world and our climate. How long before they U-turn as soon as they think voters are looking the other way?”
