One of Stroud’s lesser-known gems is Hawkwood College, an independent charity just north of the town that offers arts and educational courses in a truly beautiful setting.
Last week, Hawkwood hosted The Big Wild Gathering, and I was honoured to join a panel discussing the impact of political lobbying on the environment alongside Feargal Sharkey, Megan McCubbin, Rachel Bice of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Shaun Spiers of Green Alliance.
Our discussion highlighted a worrying reality. Too many political and commercial decisions over recent decades have come at the expense of nature. Today, only around 6% of our rivers are in good ecological health. One in six animal species faces the risk of extinction, while more than half of our wild plant species are also under threat. At the same time, some of the companies entrusted with protecting essential public services have accumulated enormous debts while failing to safeguard the environment. Ultimately, it is the public who are left to pick up the bill—both financially and environmentally.
Despite these challenges, I believe we have an opportunity in the months ahead to change course.
One of the most important steps the Government could take would be to bring the water companies back into public ownership. Water is an essential public service. Decisions about how it is managed should be driven by the public interest rather than private profit. Public ownership would, in my view, allow long-term investment in infrastructure, improve environmental stewardship and reduce the financial burden ultimately borne by taxpayers.
Of course, this is only part of the solution. We also need to rethink how we manage our countryside, restore habitats and continue to support farmers in adopting sustainable practices. The Government’s new Farming Roadmap is a welcome step in that direction, but much more remains to be done.
If we are serious about restoring nature and protecting future generations, tackling the legacy of water privatisation would be a good place to begin.
