The ruling Tory party reshuffle yesterday mostly raised headlines around the exit of ethnic minority Baroness Wasi and the demotion of some women ministers. Of greater interest to climateers however, is the replacement of Caroline Spelman as DEFRA secretary by Owen Paterson.
Described in today’s online ‘Metro’ as a ‘pro-fox hunting and a renewable energy sceptic’, his appointment has raised a nod of approval from the influential (amongst farmers) ‘Farmers Guardian‘. The paper edition of the ‘Metro’ billed him as, horror of horrors, a ‘fox hunting climate sceptic‘. Interesting that the print and online editions don’t quite tally. Maybe a phone call was made from number 10 and the online edition was hastily edited?
Self described as a ‘passionate supporter of localism, free enterprise and less interference in people’s lives’. He believes that taxation and bureaucracy should be minimised to give people the best chance to exercise their talents and makes it clear he is a ‘strong defender of the United Kingdom’.
Paterson became managing director of the family leather business in 1994 and rose to be the president of COTANCE, the European Tanners’ Confederation.
As Shadow Defra Minister between 2005 and 2006 he challenged the Labour Government head on over its refusal to implement a badger cull to curb bovine TB tabling hundreds of parliamentary questions on the subject, driving his counterpart, Animal Health Minister, Ben Bradshaw to distraction. He also campaigned for a fairer prices for dairy farmers.
Also Mr Paterson travelled around the North Atlantic to produce a green paper on fisheries.
Coupled with Chris Huhn’e departure in disgrace and the recent news that the U.K. government is about to publish plans to cut subsidies for land-based wind turbines, capping months of debate within Prime Minister David Cameron’s government about the scale of incentives the industry needs, it seems winds of change are blowing though the corridors of power.
Onshore producers from April 2010 to March 2011 received 394 million pounds ($612 million) of support under the subsidy program, according to U.K. energy regulator Ofgem. Britain has a target to get 15 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020 and plans to reduce support for onshore wind as turbines become cheaper. It got about 3.3 percent of its energy from renewables in 2011,according to BP Plc estimates.
Tallbloke's Talkshop 
It’s interesting that he is described as pro-fox hunting in the same breath as being a climate skeptic. Let’s hope that the foxes are still good chasing amongst the fields of solar panels and wind turbines. Or is he going to halt the slide whereby agricultural land is set aside for energy production. The farmers are all about protecting the countryside until there’s a buck in it.
That is a very interesting development.
I guess the Aussies just love Julia Gillard shuttering their industries and power plants, and don’t need any one like Owen Patterson.
Sorry tallbloke I’d missed the nuance in the original text…ooops!!! Do they have a cohesive strategy… I think not
Quote:
David Cameron voiced his support for a repeal of the hunting ban yesterday, describing himself as a ‘ country boy’ who grew up fishing and shooting rabbits
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1262884/David-Cameron-makes-passionate-defence-fox-hunting.html#ixzz25d9DoIzx
David Cameron tells a meeting of 23 countries that the UK is spearheading the green revolution. The prime minister emphasises the need to make renewables cheaper and more sustainable.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2012/apr/26/david-cameron-renewable-energy-video
The Invisible Hand of economic reality has begun its squeeze …
[…] a recent talkshop post I introduced Owen Paterson, the UK’s new energy minister following the cabinet reshuffle. It looks like he’s hit […]