There was an excellent five minute discussion on the state of National Parks in England yesterday on Radio 4 featuring George Monbiot and Fiona Howie.   Well worth listening to on iplayer – from 7.40 or 1:40 into programme.  The interview was prompted by the resignation of a sheep farmer from the  Review of National Parks in England instigated by Michael Gove (see here) which is ostensibly intended to improve wildlife and access by changing how agricultural subsidies work post Brexit.

Monbiot was in fine form, arguing the sheep farming had destroyed the ecology of much of the English National Parks which, he mischievously claimed, were “slightly better for wildlife than a multi-storey carpark but not much”  and incidentally prompted thoughts of yet more car parking at Flamingo Land.  Meanwhile Fiona Howie, from the Council for National Parks, played a far more conciliatory role.  A good debate with both in agreement that the European Community Common Agricultural Policy had been a disaster for wildlife and there is a great opportunity to change how subsidies operate.

As I argued in my post on the Review, there appears to be little or no attempt to re-think how agricultural (and wider land-use subsidies) could be used in Scotland, which is sorely needed, Brexit or not.  Following speculation in the Sunday Herald at the weekend on the Scottish Cabinet reshuffle, which suggested that both  Roseanna Cunningham, Environment Secretary and Fergus Ewing, Rural Affairs Secretary would be replaced, I wondered if this might create an opportunity for change and new approaches.  I even said so at the Scottish Campaign for National Parks Executive Meeting I attended on Monday.   In the event, they were two Ministers who kept their posts!   Perhaps they have plans up their sleeves after all?