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Irish Examiner
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
When it comes to climate action, politicians can't see the wolves from the trees
What have experts ever done for us? 'I think the people of this country have had enough of experts,' British Conservative MP Michael Gove famously said during the Brexit debate, as he dismissed concerns about the potential downside impacts of leaving the EU. But Gove and a lot of people thought they knew better. Well, it seems many may have buyer's remorse or 'Bregret' over the decision. Since late July 2022, the share of people who regret Brexit in surveys has consistently been above 50%. As of May 2025, 56% of people in Great Britain believed it was wrong to leave the European Union, compared with 32% who thought it was the right decision. Just when we thought things could not get any worse, the American electorate and Donald Trump said 'Hold my beer'. Even the most pessimistic person could not have been ready for the vengeful gutting of scientific and educational standards, contempt for the law and disdain for facts and the truth during the second Trump term. But like most right-wingers, Trump seems to hold a special contempt for the environment and any person or body protecting the environment. He has launched more attacks on the environment in 100 days than his entire first term — hitting protections for land, oceans, forests, wildlife and climate. But lest we get complacent and superior over on this side of the water, it looks like those in charge in Europe and Ireland are just as willing to ignore experts and academics when it suits them, and particularly when it comes to the environment. Recently, the European Parliament voted to lower the protection status of wolves under the Habitats Directive — with no sound scientific basis. This proposal was a politically motivated U-turn away from science-based conservation. Ireland's own experts in the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) advised against supporting it, as the wolf remains in an unfavourable conservation status in six out of seven biogeographical regions in Europe. A data-driven reassessment of the species conservation status is due later this year, and the NPWS concluded any change to the species protected status before then was premature. Fine Gael MEP Regina Doherty was quoted as saying: 'A high wolf population can be a threat to biodiversity conservation, farmers, rural communities and tourism.' In fact, wolves play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems and biodiversity by regulating prey populations, which can lead to a more balanced and diverse ecosystem, the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park in 1995 being just one example. As for the threat to farmers and rural communities, it seems MEPs could have appraised themselves of some studies before they made their decision. Wolf predation represents a very small fraction of total livestock losses, according to nature strategist Kriton Arsenis. In a LinkedIn post, he referenced a peer-reviewed study from Poland which found grey wolves avoid eating farm animals — even when thousands roam unprotected. In an area where more than 4,000 cattle and 700 horses graze freely each year, scientists found over a two-year period: Only three cattle calves were consumed by wolves; No horse attacks were recorded; Livestock made up just 3% of the wolf diet — and even that was likely scavenged — meaning wolves fed on animals that were already dead; Instead, wolves fed mainly on wild prey — roe deer and wild boar made up over 80% of their diet. And then there's the effect on tourism — but not in the way that Ms Doherty thinks. Nature and wildlife tourism is a growing market. Wildlife tourism centred around wolves is growing across Europe, with organisers highlighting its value for both conservation and rural revitalisation. And it's more profitable than killing wolves. There are already areas with wolves that make 10 times more money organising sightseeing tours than for shooting them, according to the Wilderness Society. Forestry minister Michael Healy-Rae's suggestion to allow forestry on peatlands 'about the dumbest thing we can do'. Many people may not care about wolves. But if we allow these laws to unravel without any evidence or expertise taken into account, what's next. And we in Ireland are not immune from ignoring or threatening to ignore expert and scientific advice, particularly in relation to the environment. 'About the dumbest thing we can do' from the point of view of climate action were the words of Peter Thorne, a professor of climate change at Maynooth University in response to forestry minister Michael Healy-Rae's suggestion to allow forestry on peatlands, which would be a reversal of Government policy, which prohibits afforestation on deep peat. The Irish Peatland Conservation Council warned such actions would have severe environmental consequences and undermine Ireland's commitments to biodiversity and climate action. Peatlands are one of Ireland's most valuable ecosystems, serving as critical carbon sinks, supporting unique biodiversity, and regulating water quality. Scientific research has repeatedly shown afforestation on peatlands disrupts their natural hydrology, accelerates carbon release, and damages habitats essential for rare and endangered species. Of course, the minister's suggestion is cloaked in a faux argument that if you don't plant forestry in bogs, the only other option is to import them: a Sophie's Choice of tree planting. You should always be wary when you're offered a binary choice to a complex problem. More recently, concerns have been raised over Government plans which will lower protections for rivers and lakes by labelling them 'heavily modified water bodies'. Sustainable Water Network chief executive Sinéad O'Brien said the Government's plan to lower protections for one in 10 of our rivers, lakes, and coastal waters, without evidence or proper explanation, shows disregard for the public. This is all starting to sound familiar. We need experts, academics and scientists to help us make decisions based on the best knowledge, information, evidence and science available. The laws of science and nature do not really care about your political affiliations, party policy or whether you think the world is flat — they just carry on regardless. They can't just be discarded on a whim or because the political wind has changed direction. And you ignore them at your peril, as we're finding out with our changing climate.
Sky News AU
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
How Labor's bloated public sector 'Blob' that sealed Peter Dutton's fate is spreading its tentacles even deeper into taxpayers' wallets
Peter Dutton's plan to axe 36,000 public servants and force the rest of them back into the office was never going to be a vote-winner in Canberra. The Liberals' primary vote fell to a historic low of 21 per cent across the three lower house seats in the ACT. Labor voters outnumbered Coalition voters by more than two to one for the first time. The size of the public service workforce has never been larger, nor its preference for Labor governments stronger. The Coalition's limit on headcount was relaxed during the Covid-19 pandemic, and Labor's election in 2022 ensured that the ranks of bureaucrats would continue to swell. The expansion of government bureaucracy is a global phenomenon that appears to be unstoppable. Michael Gove, the former British Conservative cabinet minister, famously described it as the Blob, after a cult 1958 science fiction movie in which a meteor crashes to Earth near a small Pennsylvania town, releasing a malevolent red jelly that quickly expands, consuming everything in its path. "It's indescribable, indestructible, and nothing can stop it," read the cinema posters. Under Anthony Albanese, the federal government blob has grown by 30 per cent, from 136,330 at the end of 2021 to 178,230 in December 2024. Budget forecasts predict the number will continue to rise to more than 213,000 by the end of next year. It means 87,000 public servants will have been added to the payroll since the pre-pandemic low in 2019. The public service unions have a powerful influence over Labor, providing donations, a steady supply of willing volunteers at election time and parliamentary candidates. Between them, they have connived to portray every government bureaucrat as an essential front-line worker, and every Coalition leader who threatens their jobs as a heartless brute intent on making the lives of vulnerable Australians unbearable. This presents a distorted picture of the federal public service, which is predominantly administrative in nature. Most government employees who could reasonably be portrayed as front-line workers, such as nurses, firefighters, teachers, and police are on the payroll of state governments. No sane person would turn up at the Department of Health's headquarters in the Sirius Building in Woden seeking treatment for a sore back, for example. The 7,000-plus workforce staff are primarily comprised of policy, regulatory, administrative and program management personnel, rather than clinical practitioners. The 20,000-plus Defence Department employees are not taught to load a rifle. The soldiers, sailors and air crews who put their lives on the line for the country are accounted for elsewhere. Department of Education employees aren't paid to teach, and Transport Department workers don't drive trucks. The singular exception to this rule is the National Disability Insurance Agency. The introduction of the NDIS under the Gillard government transferred much of the responsibility for caring for people with disabilities from the states to the federal government in Canberra. The largest employer of public servants is the Department of Social Services and its associated agencies, where the number of employees has increased from just under 38,000 five years ago to around 48,000 today. Even if we assume everyone who works there is on the front line, which is doubtful, it represents a mere fraction of the extra workers on the books. Analysis in The Australian this week by Geoff Chambers paints a depressing picture of how the extra workers fill in their working hours. Service delivery jobs have increased by a modest 28 per cent since 2019. Administration jobs are up by 74 per cent, portfolio, program, and project management positions have increased by 153 per cent, strategic policy jobs by 154 per cent and communications and marketing jobs by 89 per cent. Human resources positions have risen by 48 per cent, confirming our worst fears that more public servants are employed to manage themselves essentially. HR professionals are skilled at creating work for themselves, devising an endless number of programmes, education courses, and compliance and reporting obligations that reduce the productivity of everyone else in the building. The latest thing they have called upon themselves to manage is neurodivergency, a term used to describe individuals whose brain functions differ from what is considered "neurotypical". It embraces conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Tourette syndrome, and encourages inclusion and acceptance of different ways of thinking. Neurodivergent is not a diagnostic term, and critics argue it conflates a wide range of conditions without distinguishing differences in cause, severity, or support needs. Last year, an Australian Public Service survey found that '8.8 per cent of respondents considered themselves to be neurodivergent, another 9.3 per cent of respondents considered that they may be neurodivergent, and 9.5 per cent of respondents said they were unsure what neurodivergent means'. Home Affairs and Services Australia have established neurodiversity units to manage this perceived problem. All of which suggests that there is no limit to the work that Canberra public servants will appoint themselves to do, given the licence to do so by a willing government. Any suggestion of greater efficiency or making public servants more accountable to the voting public they theoretically serve is instantly dismissed as a cold-hearted and reactionary gesture by politicians too mean or too stupid to appreciate the value of the work they do. The teenage heroes in The Blob, played by Steve McQueen and Aneta Corsaut, discover the protoplasm's weakness and manage to stop it. Yet there was no such happy ending for Mr Dutton, whose fate will doubtless deter future conservative leaders from pursuing similar policies. Nick Cater is a senior fellow at Menzies Research Centre and a regular contributor to Sky News Australia
News18
19-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
'India's Gift To The World': British MP Bob Blackman Hosts Yoga Event In UK Parliament
Last Updated: International Yoga Day is observed every year on June 21 to promote physical, mental, and spiritual well-being British Conservative MP Bob Blackman on Thursday hosted a special yoga session in the UK Parliament. The event, held just ahead of International Yoga Day on June 21, saw the participation of several Members of Parliament and staff. Sharing photos from the gathering on social media platform X, Blackman wrote, 'I hostedhosted a fantastic Yoga event in Parliament, atended by many MPs and colleagues. Yoga is India's gift to the world!" I hosted a fantastic Yoga event in Parliament, atended by many MPs and colleagues. Yoga is India's gift to the world! This Saturday marks #InternationalYogaDay2025 — Bob Blackman (@BobBlackman) June 19, 2025 Earlier in the day, he had invited his fellow parliamentarians to join the session. 'This Saturday is the longest day and also #InternationalYogaDay – India's gift to the world! I invited colleagues to our Yoga event in Parliament, to practice yoga and having a healthy, long life," he shared on the platform. International Yoga Day is observed every year on June 21 to promote physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Recognised by the United Nations in 2014, the day highlights the many benefits of yoga, from improving flexibility and strength to reducing stress and anxiety. Blackman, MP for Harrow East, is well-known for his strong support for India in the UK Parliament. He has repeatedly spoken out in favour of India's domestic and foreign policy stances and has openly criticised Pakistan for allegedly backing cross-border terrorism. Earlier this month, Blackman had called on the UK government, led by Labour's Keir Starmer, to stand firmly with India in its fight against terrorism. He had also highlighted his meeting with an all-party delegation of Indian parliamentarians and reaffirmed his support for India's military operation, Operation Sindoor, calling Pakistan a 'failed state" in the context of terrorism. First Published:
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Starmer is teeing up Gibraltar for another great overseas betrayal
Britain is ceding a major part of its sovereignty over the peninsula of Gibraltar. Ahead of his meeting with Gibraltar's chief minister David Picardo, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has apparently agreed to hand over discretion over entry and exit into Gibraltar to Spanish and European border guards. The British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has downplayed the significance of Lammy's decision and insists that the terms of the deal with Spain are still being agreed. Nevertheless, the news of Britain giving up its influence over Gibraltar's borders has already triggered fiercely polarised reactions. Defenders of Lammy's agreement argue that it removes a critical obstacle to stronger economic and security cooperation with the European Union (EU). The FCDO has implied that this deal would improve Gibraltar's business climate and not compromise Britain's sovereignty over Gibraltar. Britain's Europe Minister Stephen Doughty has repeatedly declared that the United Kingdom's sovereignty over Gibraltar is non-negotiable. Critics of the deal, however, view it as an act of betrayal that will undermine Britain's border security and control over its overseas territories. Former British Home Secretary Suella Braverman has warned that 'the Falklands will be next' and British Conservative MP Caroline Dinenage tied the decision's timing to Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spending review. While the short-term economic benefits of this compromise should not be discounted, critics of the agreement have compelling arguments. In a November 2002 referendum, 98.97 per cent of Gibraltarians voted against sharing the sovereignty of Gibraltar with Spain. The restoration of full British border control over Gibraltar in 2020 was the direct consequence of Britons voting to leave the EU in June 2016. A unilateral handover of Gibraltar's border security to Spain and Europe is an anti-democratic gesture, as it was not preceded by any form of plebiscite. It also runs against the grain of current public opinion, as there is widespread support for a Gibraltar MP in the House of Commons. Most people in Gibraltar want more UK-Gibraltar integration, not less. Moreover, it reflects an alarming willingness to undermine Britain's sovereignty over its overseas territories. Britain's handover of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius was a blow to its global power projection and has potentially enabled Chinese expansionism in the Indian Ocean. The forced integration of Gibraltar with Spain, which has much more open migration policies and struggles with maritime illegal immigration, continues this worrying trend. While Falkland Islands Governor Alison Blake has hailed Britain's unwavering commitment today to sovereignty of the islands, can these assurances really be believed? To anyone watching Starmer's handling of Chagos and Gibraltar, no is the justified answer. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Irish Examiner
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Kneecap announce new song ahead of headline performance at London's Wide Awake
Rap trio Kneecap have announced they will release a new song ahead of their headline performance at London's Wide Awake festival, just two days after one of their members was charged with a terror offence. The band, made up of Liam O hAnnaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, thanked the '25,000 legends' who will be attending Friday night's performance in a post on Instagram, while revealing the new song will be released at 1pm. The band's post read: 'Well well London heads. Some day coming up. 'We've a brand new track landing in our WhatsApp channel at 1pm. 'Kemi Badenoch you might wanna sit down for this one, if you've any seats left. 'Then we're at Wide Awake in Brockwell Park London for a headline show to 25,000 legends tonight.' British Conservative party leader Badenoch has called for Kneecap to be banned and suggested they should be dropped from the Glastonbury Festival line-up. A number of other politicians have made the same demand. Last year, Kneecap won a discrimination case against the UK government in Belfast High Court after former business secretary Badenoch tried to refuse them a funding award when she was a minister. In another post, the band showed a short clip of their soundcheck at the Brockwell Park festival. It comes after O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was charged over the alleged display of a Hezbollah flag at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, in November last year, the Metropolitan Police said on Wednesday. Kneecap are due to perform at Wide Awake on Friday (Brian Lawless/PA) The band held a surprise gig at the 100 Club on Oxford Street on Thursday, where O hAnnaidh could be seen in videos on social media arriving on stage with tape covering his mouth. He then joked about being careful what he said before adding he wanted to thank his lawyer. The rapper said: 'I need to thank my lawyer he's here tonight as well.' Police said they were at the central London venue on Thursday evening to manage visitors to the sold-out event. The band said on X that the event sold out in 90 seconds, with 2,000 people on the waiting list. In 2024, the band released an eponymous film, starring Oscar-nominated actor Michael Fassbender, a fictionalised retelling of how the band came together and follows the Belfast group on their mission to save their mother tongue through music. Formed in 2017, the group are known for their provocative lyrics in both Irish and English languages, and merchandise. Their best-known tracks include Get Your Brits Out, Better Way To Live, featuring Grian Chatten from Fontaines DC, and 3Cag. Read More Kneecap star arrives at surprise gig with tape over mouth after terror charge
