Batting for Tufton Street

It’s funny, I searched in vain through Labour’s 2024 manifesto Change for any firm commitment to exterminate the country’s bat population, or at least any of the scarce, tiny, flying mammals that had the temerity to hinder Sir Keir Starmer’s passion to build “infrastructure” – but at least we knew what he regards as infrastructure.

In his 2023 conference speech he bemoaned the “blockage” (i.e. planning) which, he claimed, “stops this country building roads, grid connections, laboratories, train lines, warehouses, wind farms, power stations”. It’s amazing, isn’t it? All those developments held up by a few bats.

When the history of this government comes to be written, the dismal influence of what I’ve long called “the sprawl lobby” will feature prominently. That lobby is a complex thing, from the altruism of the garden city movement right through to the naked vulture capitalism of neoliberal think-tanks and development industry social media influencers.

But Sir Keir really does need to get some competent speech writers. Just borrowing the same tired old tropes from the latter to wave in front of international investors is really not a substitute for governing in the round, for everyone and everything (i.e. what he’s supposed to be doing).

Yesterday’s press release “Radical Action Plan to Cut Red Tape and Kickstart Growth” was at least half right. It was a radical plan (though familiar from the flood of bovine scatology pouring out of the Treasury and its minion departments for – I was about to say the past eight months, but in reality more than 20 years now).

This one was a classic of the genre.

“It should not be the case that to convert a garage or outbuilding you need to wade through hundreds of pages of guidance on bats,” it lied (show me a planning department that has the staff to do that). “Environmental guidance, including on protecting bats, will be looked at afresh. Natural England has agreed to review and update their advice to Local Planning Authorities on bats to ensure there is clear, proportionate and accessible advice available.”

Blockers, conspiring to hinder UK economic growth

[Image: Bat Conservation Trust]

I love that “agreed”, as if the underfunded and neutered Natural England could have refused. Yet there are still people there who believe in protecting nature, so perhaps its review could say “Please stop regurgitating crap written by neoliberal influencers about bat tunnels and face up to your responsibilities”.

Dream on. A bullet point in the press release’s standfirst announced that the “radical shake up will boost infrastructure building by simplifying guidance to protect bat habitats that blocks vital new homes and infrastructure.”

So at least staff at Natural England won’t need to carry out any “review”. The nature experts at HM Treasury have already decided the outcome.

In vain may the Bat Conservation Trust warn that the government appears determined to sacrifice the natural world for short-term gains (what gains?).

I just hope some investigative reporter somewhere is probing the links between neoliberal lobbyists and the present and previous governments. For someone with the right contacts, there’s a great book to be written.

Jon Reeds