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| Michael Gove 'entirely unfit' to be environment secretary, say Greens | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Green activists and politicians have reacted with dismay to Theresa May’s decision to bring Michael Gove back to frontline politics as environment secretary. | Green activists and politicians have reacted with dismay to Theresa May’s decision to bring Michael Gove back to frontline politics as environment secretary. |
| May, who banished Gove to the backbenches when she became Tory leader last year, announced his new post as part of her reshuffle on Sunday. | May, who banished Gove to the backbenches when she became Tory leader last year, announced his new post as part of her reshuffle on Sunday. |
| The news was greeted with anger and frustration by environmental campaigners, who lamented his previous interventions on green issues in parliament and while education secretary. | The news was greeted with anger and frustration by environmental campaigners, who lamented his previous interventions on green issues in parliament and while education secretary. |
| Caroline Lucas, the Green party co-leader and MP, said it was hard to “think of many politicians as ill-equipped for the role of environment secretary as Michael Gove”. | Caroline Lucas, the Green party co-leader and MP, said it was hard to “think of many politicians as ill-equipped for the role of environment secretary as Michael Gove”. |
| “His record of voting against measures to halt climate change and his attempt to wipe the subject from our children’s curriculum show him entirely unfit to lead our country in tackling one of the greatest threats we face,” she added. | “His record of voting against measures to halt climate change and his attempt to wipe the subject from our children’s curriculum show him entirely unfit to lead our country in tackling one of the greatest threats we face,” she added. |
| “This appointment is further evidence of both Theresa May’s complete disregard for the environment and her desperation to hold together a government in chaos.” | “This appointment is further evidence of both Theresa May’s complete disregard for the environment and her desperation to hold together a government in chaos.” |
| Jon Sauven, the Greenpeace chief executive, said Gove would have to act fast to prove “he is better than his record suggests”. | Jon Sauven, the Greenpeace chief executive, said Gove would have to act fast to prove “he is better than his record suggests”. |
| “Michael Gove is about to find an in-tray loaded with urgent problems, from tackling the air pollution crisis to reforming our broken farm subsidy system and protecting our oceans from overfishing and plastic waste. He should move swiftly to prove that he’s better than his record suggests,” said Sauven. | “Michael Gove is about to find an in-tray loaded with urgent problems, from tackling the air pollution crisis to reforming our broken farm subsidy system and protecting our oceans from overfishing and plastic waste. He should move swiftly to prove that he’s better than his record suggests,” said Sauven. |
| “He once described himself as a ‘shy green’, and that shyness was fully on display when he tried to remove climate change from the school curriculum, called for the habitat directive to be scrapped, and voted to sell off our forests. But he has also spoken of his love for the great Scottish outdoors and of the importance of preserving this natural beauty for the next generation – a key promise in the Conservative manifesto.” | “He once described himself as a ‘shy green’, and that shyness was fully on display when he tried to remove climate change from the school curriculum, called for the habitat directive to be scrapped, and voted to sell off our forests. But he has also spoken of his love for the great Scottish outdoors and of the importance of preserving this natural beauty for the next generation – a key promise in the Conservative manifesto.” |
| Gove was forced to drop plans to remove climate change from the curriculum after environmentalists and science teachers claimed the omission would downgrade the topic and make its existence a matter of greater dispute. | Gove was forced to drop plans to remove climate change from the curriculum after environmentalists and science teachers claimed the omission would downgrade the topic and make its existence a matter of greater dispute. |
| This year he outlined his opposition to key elements of environmental legislation, saying Brexit could allow Britain to scrap “absurd” rules such as the European commission’s habitats directive and clinical trials directive. | This year he outlined his opposition to key elements of environmental legislation, saying Brexit could allow Britain to scrap “absurd” rules such as the European commission’s habitats directive and clinical trials directive. |
| Lucas said: “As we enter Brexit negotiations, Gove’s past suggestion we scrap vital EU environmental protections becomes ever more concerning.” | Lucas said: “As we enter Brexit negotiations, Gove’s past suggestion we scrap vital EU environmental protections becomes ever more concerning.” |
| Gove was a leading Brexit campaigner and is a close associate of Rupert Murdoch. On Monday Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, wrote to May to ask whether the media tycoon had lobbied to get him back on the frontbench. | Gove was a leading Brexit campaigner and is a close associate of Rupert Murdoch. On Monday Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, wrote to May to ask whether the media tycoon had lobbied to get him back on the frontbench. |
| .@tom_watson has written to the PM to ask if @rupertmurdoch asked for @michaelgove to be given a job in Cabinet. pic.twitter.com/VJruVSZNRN | .@tom_watson has written to the PM to ask if @rupertmurdoch asked for @michaelgove to be given a job in Cabinet. pic.twitter.com/VJruVSZNRN |